I Get Around
by GoldenSunsets.MidnightSkies
Summary: When Greasers and Socs meet, you know that you're in for trouble. Throw a wild and reckless girl into the mix, and you know that things will never end on a good note. Longer summary inside. Curtis sister fic, NOT A MARY SUE.
1. Chapter 1

**Sooo, new story :) I just want to apologize for my absence on _He's A Rebel_, although I don't think anyone cares much. Some bad things happened to me, and I just couldn't bring myself to write the rest of the story as it reminded me of what happened. I'm going to try and finish it though, because I have everything planned out in my head. In the meantime, enjoy this, and I'm sorry about the length of the chapters. Any comments are appreciated :)  
Summary: Katherine "Kit-Kat" Joanie Curtis is Sodapop's twin, a sensitive girl who hides her emotions behind her dolled up face after her parents' death. Wild and reckless, she'll do anything to feel the love she had when her parents were alive, including sleeping with nearly any boy who comes her way; anything to feel the spark of love. When Darry finds out what she's doing, she somewhat stops, and she completely throws her attitude out the window when she gets her first serious boyfriend. However, when Ponyboy runs away, she's left alone and scared, and thus begins the first of many life changing events. THIS NOT A MARY SUE.  
As a warning, this is rated M for sex outside of marriage that doesn't always include love, rape, swearing, abusive relationships, violent deaths, underage drinking and smoking and war.  
Finally, I do not own _The Outsiders.  
_**

* * *

When I saw the guard bring out a white blond, well built teenage boy, I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling so much. It had been a while since the last time we had seen or spoken to each other, and, being pretty good friends, we had missed each other's company. When he caught my eye, he grinned in spite of his tough guy reputation, and his normally icy blue eyes shone with a hint of happiness as he lifted the phone off the receiver.

"Hey Kit-Kat," he greeted, only a hint of the usual roughness in his voice.

"Hey Dal," I said, smiling so hard that my cheeks were hurting. Man, last time I saw him was when he got arrested for shoplifting, and that was two weeks ago. Despite the facts that we couldn't get to hug and hold each other's hands, getting to talk was amazing, even if it was for a short period of time.

"How are things over at your place? Everyone miss me?" he asked jokingly. Besides me, only my other best friend Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews, and Johnny Cade, my younger brother Ponyboy's best friend, came to visit. My older brother Darrel, whom we called Darry, my twin Sodapop and his best friend Steve worked all day Saturday, the only day of the week when people were allowed to visit the men in the county jail. Ponyboy had only just turned fourteen, so Darry didn't really want him to come over here. And even as much as Ponyboy respected Dally, with his cool attitude and brains despite doing all the things he was hauled in for, didn't like him much.

"Of course, you're the light of the party!" I laughed. "Pony's birthday was last week, so everyone kinda missed you for that. Things are kind of going on like normal though."

And they should be. Ever since my parents died in an automobile accident in January, my brothers and I have tried to go on with life as normally as possible. During the first month or so, we thought that we'd never get on, with the funeral and the legal battle between the State and Darry as he fought to keep us from going into a home and being separated. And there was also the psychological battle that we were all going through: Darry had became a father of sorts to two boys and one girl at hardly twenty years old; Ponyboy was still somewhat young, and was having a hard time understanding what was happening, and to add to everything he began having nightmares that terrorized him to no end. Sodapop, happy go lucky and grinning, always had a hard time processing serious reality, and for about two months, refused to believe that they were really gone. As for me, I tuned out everything around me. I refused to talk for over a month, which made school difficult and the legal battle harder for Darry. The school called Darry several times to tell them that I wasn't participating in class and refused to answer the teachers' questions, and when social workers talked to me, I wouldn't reply. Darry was told that if he couldn't get me to speak, I would be sent to an mental institution.

But with the help of the boys, our gang that we consider family, and my girl friends, we made it through. Soda began sleeping with Pony to help him with his nightmares, and Pony began hanging out with Johnny a lot more. By picking up another job, Darry was not only able to keep us, but the house too, as long as we didn't get into major legal trouble and kept the house clean. Two-Bit and Dally helped me overcome my temporary muteness by softly forcing me to sing. Dally was my ex boyfriend, but we still remained good friends, and after the accident, I went back to him again for comfort. One night, he snuck into my room just to cuddle and kiss, because that was all I really wanted. I happened to be singing, and he heard me. After that night, he and Two-Bit had urged me to sing at any chance they had, by turning on the radio and playing my favorite records and taking me to dances.

On Valentine's Day, I spoke my first sentence since the accident; just three simple words, but Soda almost cried when he heard me talk. I never realized the effect that the words "I love you" had until then. Those were also the last words that Mom and Dad had ever spoken to us.

Dally seemed to figure out what I was thinking about, and placed his hand on the bulletproof glass that separated us. I placed my hand where his was, and squeezed the air gently, wishing that I could hold his hand.

"Everything's okay now sweetheart, you're still with your brothers and it doesn't look like the state is gonna to separate you anytime soon."

"They almost did when Soda dropped out."

Sodapop dropped out, because according to him, he was dumb. Sure, the only things he was passing were auto mechanics and gym, but he wasn't dumb; he just didn't get school. We had to go to court again, because they thought that Soda was just going to lay around the house doing nothing, but the gas station that he worked part time for hired him full time, so when the state saw that he was helping pay the bills, they didn't separate us.

"But they didn't. Come on sweetheart, I wanna see that gorgeous smile of yours back," he begged softly, and I just had to smile. I'm too much of a thinker, I look way too deeply into things or think about stuff too much.

"How much longer are you going to be in this place?"

"They said three months, so end of September, beginning of October. If I keep up the good behavior though they'll consider lettin' me out early."

"Dallas Winston and good behavior?" I asked, feigning shock. "Now how does that work out?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Sorry, I don't feel like it," I grinned, winking at him.

xXxXxX

We joked around and talked for maybe half an hour more, when I felt a guard's hand on my shoulder.

"Time to go miss," his voice was rough and harsh, and I widened my eyes, pouting slightly.

"Just another minute, please," I said in my soft voice, hoping that it would sound just innocent enough, just enough to let me have a few final words with my friend.

He looked at me for a second then nodded, taking a few steps back.

"I guess I have to go Dally..." I whispered sadly.

"Where ya gonna head to?"

"Maybe walk around a bit before going home, get a Coke or somethin'."

"Hoping to run into Tim Shepard?" he asked with a smirk, and I felt my cheeks heat up fast.

"I don't know, Darry wants me back by eleven."

"Plenty of time," he laughed.

"Miss?" The guard placed his hand on my shoulder again, and left it there telling me with his dark eyes that I had to leave. I sighed.

"Alright, well see you Dal. I love you."

"See ya kid," he said, smiling, although I could hear the small amount of sadness in his voice, the sadness due to having to return to his cell and eat flavorless food, of having only one hour of fresh air a day and having to sneak cigarettes. I placed my hand on the glass again as he hung up, and he placed his over mine. Our hands closed over the air, and, just for a second, I pretended that we were holding hands, before the guard on his side pulled him away. I blew him a kiss as I slowly took my hand off of the glass, and he grinned, pretending to catch it and placing it close to his heart.

xXxXxX

I dug through my jeans pocket, struggling a bit because the jeans were so tight and the pockets so small, to see how much money I had. I had less than a dollar in various coins, but enough for a Coke. I grabbed one off the shelf in the fridge, and processed to the checkout counter, wiping my forehead. Damn, it was almost nine in the evening, and still nearly ninety degrees.

There were a few other people in the store with me, some Socy looking guys, and a couple of greaser couples. The Socs, short for Socials, the rich kids in the West part of town who own Mustangs and Corvettes, were us greasers' rivals, and they had been throwing glances at me, snickering. One of them walked up to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, and I gave him a glare, tensing up.

"Hey baby," he said in an overly smooth voice. He had clean cut dirty blond hair, green eyes, a big build and was wearing a red shirt tucked into tan pants. "You're pretty good lookin' for a greaser chick. My friends and I are going to head over to a party in a few, care to join us?"

"Not interested," I said, trying to keep my voice even and wondering if I could get my switchblade without him seeing.

"Aw, come on. You'll actually have some fun for once, and it doesn't look like you're doing anything."

I moved forward; one person was in front of me now. I pushed his arm off my shoulders, feeling disgusted. "Leave me alone."  
His friends laughed in the background, mimicking me. The bell jingled as someone came in, and the cashier handed the guy in front of me his change.

"Next please," he said as the Soc wrapped his arm around me more tightly. He took the bottle of Coke out of my hand and set it on the counter, whispering harshly in my ear. I could smell his cologne and shaving lotion, mixed with the smells of tobacco and hard liquor.

"Listen girl, you're going to come with me and my friends without any complaint, alright?" I heard the flick of a switchblade and gasped as he held the blade against my side, threatening to cut through my thin top. "And if you try to fight, I'm going to beat you so bad that your pretty face is going to be unrecognizable by the time I'm finished with you, got it?"

"Just the Coke?" The cashier asked, a college student by the looks of it. He had a nervous look in his eyes as he saw how tight the Soc was holding me. I nodded, not being able to talk. My heart was pounding so hard and fast that I swore everyone in the store could hear it over the music that was playing. Inside, I was screaming, wanting to get out of the store and go home, safe with my brothers. The warfare between the greasers and Socs remained between those of the same sex: girls against girls and guys against guys. However, the guys from both sides would bother the girls at times, and I knew girls that had been beaten up, or worse, by guys. It wasn't pretty. "Okay, it's fifteen cents."

"Make it two Cokes," the Soc was pulled off of me and I heard him snarl. I looked quickly at who had pushed him away, and saw the leader of one of the gangs my brothers were allied with. He was lean and cat like, with greased back curly black hair and smoldering blue eyes. He had a scar running from his temple to his chin, and he was giving the Soc a death glare.

"What the hell man?" The Soc yelled, letting go of me to face the newcomer. "She's off limits, and I swear if I see you botherin' her again you're gonna to get the beating of a lifetime. Now fuck off," the guy spat, reaching into his pocket. Something glinted under the fluorescent lights, and I knew that it was his own switchblade. If the Soc wouldn't back off, a fight would ensure.

The Soc opened his mouth to say something back, but the cashier cut in. "Boys, I don't any trouble..."

The guy and the Soc glared at each other, and the Soc finally went away. I let out a breath that I had been holding in, and smiled gratefully at the boy who had pushed him away. He just nodded at me and gave the cashier thirty cents before walking out, his arm around my waist.

"What are you doin' out by your lonesome Miss Katherine Curtis?" He asked, leaning against his car and popping the top off a bottle before handing it to me.

"I was visitin' Dally in jail," I replied, going next to him. "I could ask them same thing about you Mister Timothy Shepard. How come you aren't with your gang or family?"

"Curly's over at a friend's house and Angela's visitin' our aunt in Arkansas. I'm goin' to head over to Buck's later, wanna come?"

"Darry would never let me go there," I said, taking a sip of my drink.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"That's true," I stepped in front of him, putting the arm with the bottle around his shoulders and looping some of my fingers through one of his belt loops. "But I can think of another thing that he doesn't need to know about, and I personally like it better."

"Oh really?" He asked, lifting the bottle to his lips then wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me closer and grinning mischievously. "And what do you have in mind?"

"Something along the lines like this," I replied, pressing my lips to his, but pulling away before anything could get out of hand. His eyes shone in the darkness, with tiny specks of orange due to the streetlights, and a smirk quickly made its way to his lips. "Get in the car." I hopped into the passenger seat and him into the driver's seat. Just as he put his key into the ignition the group of Socs walked out, and we sat there in silence, seizing each other up, the only sounds being the engine and the regular city noises. Without breaking eye contact, Tim turned on the radio, and _Out of Limits_ by The Marketts came on. I grinned as I heard it; I had often imagined it playing in a movie with a scene like this.

"See ya Socs!" He yelled, revving the engine and driving off, flipping them the bird as I laughed, throwing my head back and letting the wind whip my hair back.

xXxXxX

Tim kissed my neck hungrily, pushing me against the wall and running his hands over my sides and ass. I let out a loud moan as he bit down on the tender skin, and I felt his smirk against it.

"God, I can't fucking wait to taste you," he growled, putting his hand up my shirt and cupping my breast, and I moaned again. "It's been such a long time..." We pulled away so he could take off my shirt, and in the dim light I could see his eyes shining. He pressed his lips forcefully to mine and I let out a yelp, but I kissed back just as hard, running my hands through his hair. His hands went to the back of my bra and he unhooked it. He bit down on my bottom lip before pulling away, and I threw my bra to the floor, biting down on my lip, twirling my hair around my finger.

"You're such a sex kitten, you know that?" But I didn't answer, choosing instead to moan into the kiss as he laid me down onto his unmade bed. He played with my breasts and kissed, sucked and bit my skin as he made his way down, running his nails across my skin as he came to my jeans. He unbuttoned them; I lifted my hips up to make it easier for him to slip them off. When they were fully off, he kissed his way back up, one hand teasing me through my panties and the other playing with my left breast. He kissed me on the lips, slipping his tongue in my mouth as I moaned when he twisted my nipple. Our tongues mingled for a little while, but he was the undeclared dominating one; the guy was always the dominating one.

"You're so wet," he whispered, kissing the crook of my neck. "Do you like what I'm doing?" I just bit my lip and let out a soft moan. "Do you want me to lick you and eat you out and make you come and scream my name?"

"Yes... Yes Tim, ple-please!" I closed my eyes, and he placed a kiss on my lips again before going south. He slipped off my panties and ran his thumbs in circles on my inner thighs, kissing me. He began to suck gently on my clit, inserting two fingers inside of me at the same time. "Fuck!" I moaned, running my fingers through his hair as he went down on me. God, it felt so good; I could feel myself tightening around his tongue and fingers.

"Touch yourself," he commanded with a growl. If I hadn't been so riled up, I probably would have been embarrassed by what he told me to do, but I took each nipple between my fingers, rubbing and twisting them, moaning as he continued to kiss and finger me.

"Tim, I'm gonna... I'm gonna cum," I moaned, running a hand through his hair. He didn't say anything, just continued to thrust his fingers inside of me and sucked on my clit. I came with a cry of his name, panting hard.

"Fuck that was good," he said, wiping the side of his mouth. His eyes were still somewhat glazed over with lust, and I felt him smirk under my lips as I kissed him. I kissed his jaw and neck, biting down softly on the crook of his neck, and began to make my way lower. He seemed to guess where I was going and pushed me off for a second, throwing off his jacket and t-shirt. My breathing was still somewhat hard, and I could tell that his was getting more labored as I ran my hands over his toned chest and laid a trail of kisses down to his jeans. Even through them I could feel his erection, and smiled. I had already seen him before, and he was pretty big.

I kissed the skin right above his jeans, and slowly unbuckled his belt. I undid his jeans, and he lifted his hips to make it easier for me to take off. Smirking slightly, I squeezed him softly before rubbing him through the thin fabric of his boxers. He let out a moan at my touch, which turned to a growl when I didn't go any farther.

"Fuck Curtis, hurry up," the last two words were drowned in a low groan as I slipped off his boxers, and he gasped as the cold air hit him. Before he could get used to it, I took him in my mouth, closing my eyes and wrapping my hand around him. "Shit!" He ran his hands through my hair, pulling me closer to his cock, letting out moans and growls as I sucked him hard. He thrust his hips, wanting me to suck faster, but I held them down with one hand. His breathing got more labored, and I knew that he wasn't going to last much longer. Tim came with a yell of my name, and I swallowed.  
He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close to him. I laid my hand on his shoulder, listening to his breathing get even as the minutes passed.

"You're good Kit-Kat," he said after some moments of silence. I just smiled, looking into his eyes and shrugging.

I thought about it for a minute or two. I hadn't really been with any decent guys. I had once gone out with a middle class guy, but it didn't really last long after I found that the only reason he asked me out was because of a bet. The most decent guy I've been with was probably Dallas, but it was a relationship in the loosest of terms. We were going steady for about five months or so when we broke it off because I wouldn't give my virginity to him, but after that we would still go out and kiss and all that stuff whenever he wasn't with Sylvia. Dad sure wasn't happy the few times he had caught me and Dally making out, because we weren't officially together, but he said that as long Dally never hurt me, he would put up with it. After he and Mom died though, I started going to Dally for comfort again, and guys as bad as Tim Shepard and even worse. I hadn't had a steady relationship since the accident, but Dally and Tim were the two guys that I went with the most. When Darry had found out me and Dallas were somewhat seeing each other again, he had gotten so mad. After cooling down though, when he saw that all we were really doing was cuddling because that's all I really wanted, he didn't ban me from seeing him.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"Just stuff," I replied, kissing him. He pulled me on top of him, wrapping his arms around my waist. I moaned softly when he slipped his tongue into my mouth, and I could still taste myself. I wondered for a second if he could taste himself, and broke away, letting out a giggle.

"What?" he asked, confused.

I shook my head, smiling. "Nothing," and I kissed him again.

Things started to get heated pretty fast again, and I could feel at my entrance. He was nipping at my neck, but I pulled away, not wanting things to go too far.

"What is it this time?" He asked, seeming annoyed.

I got off of him, sitting up. "I just don't... I don't wanna... I'm not ready yet," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

"I shoulda known," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, sitting up too, and then glanced at his bedside clock. "Need me to take you home?"

With any other girl, he probably would have ignored their requests for him to stop, but he knew if he ever hurt me, he would get a whipping from Darry, and boy did he know that Darry could whip his ass.

I looked at him, smiling softly. "That'd be nice."

He stole a few more kisses from me as we got dressed, and I tried to straighten my hair out as he greased his back in the bathroom down the hall.

"Just get a brush from Angela's room," he said, leaning in the doorway, looking at me up and down. I nodded, and went past him when we heard the front door slam shut. "Shit, they're back." He took me by the wrist and dragged me down the hall. The screaming was loud and clear, and I heard something crash. Tim cursed, pulling me faster. I thought that we were going to go through the front door and wondered why, because then we would be passing right by his mother and stepfather, but he led me to the side door.

"BOY!" hollered his step father, and Tim swore under his breath. "What the fuck are you doin'?"

"Go out to the car, I'll meet ya," he hissed, pushing me out the door. I stumbled out, and he slammed the door behind me. I could hear him yelling back at his stepfather, and shook my head. Man, I was awfully glad me and my brothers didn't have a broken relationship.

xXxXxX

"Leave me the fuck alone, will ya?" I turned my head to the direction of the house to see Tim storming down the steps of the house, his hands in his pockets. He hopped into the car, putting the keys into the ignition, but the car wouldn't start. "Damn it, come on you piece of shit!" He had a couple of unsuccessful attempts, and during that time his step dad stumbled out of the house, swaying as he made his way to us.

"Come back here you ungrateful bastard!"

"Yes!" Tim managed to get the engine to start and sped away as his step father stumbled out on the street swore at us, partly in English and partly in sign language.

xXxXxX

"Thanks for driving me," I said, leaning into his car.

"Yeah, no problem," he nodded, then asked with a slight smirk, "when can I see you again Curtis?"

"Anytime, it's summer and it's not like we're going anywhere."

"Cool, so let's say... Wednesday?"

"Sounds good," I smiled. Keeping my hands on the side of the door, I leaned in some more and kissed him. "See you around Shepard."

"See ya Curtis."

I turned away, back to my house and smoothed back my hair and skirt. Closing the front gate, I swore that I could have seen a shadow behind the curtains, but I wasn't really sure. I could hear the gang's laughter and The Who playing loud and clear because the windows and front doors were open. I pushed the screen door open and it closed with a slam, and everyone turned to look at me. I smiled at them; they were some of my best friends in the whole world.

"Kit-Kat!" Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews, the boy in the gang that I was the closest to besides Soda, leapt up from his place in front of the TV and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back, laughing. We've been best friends since nearly forever, having played in the sandbox together and gone out exploring in the woods as kids. Two-Bit was a great friend to have; he was always laughing and cracking jokes, and could make nearly any serious situation funny. He had this natural talent of five finger discounting, although it did sometimes get him into trouble. He was more than two years older than me, but still a junior in high school. He was really smart though, and like I said, he was a great friend to have.

He put his face in my hair, kissing the top of my head, but stopped and lifted his head up, giving me a questioning look. I had smoked a couple of cigarettes on the way here, but I guess you could still smell the sex. He was the only one, besides Dally, who knew about me and Tim, although I'm pretty sure Soda suspected something was going on. I could feel my eyes widening and shook my head slightly, and his grin returned, and I turned my attention to the rest of the guys, who greeted me with smiles and waves.

Sodapop, my twin brother, was sitting on the floor, playing poker with his best friend, Steve Randle. Soda and I were as close could be, doing nearly everything together. Technically, Sodapop was twelve minutes and seven seconds older than me, and he never let me forget that. People usually describe him as having movie star looks, and unlike most greasers, he had a strong dislike for alcohol, hardly ever touching a drop. Pony said that he gets naturally high on life itself.

Steve Randle was seventeen, and in my year at school. He was cocky but intelligent, and great with cars. He could lift a hubcap quicker and more quietly than anyone I knew, but he could also drive anything on wheels. Except bikes, he never really got the hang of those ever since he nearly got ran over as a kid. He was tall and lean, with thick greasy hair that he kept combed in complicated swirls. He was alright, although we would get into pretty nasty fights at times.

Ponyboy was sitting on the couch, talking quietly to his best friend Johnny Cade. Pony was real smart, having been put up a year in grade school, and out of all of us, he had the best chance of going to college and getting out of here. He was a dreamer, and loved to draw. Him and I got along well because we both loved movies and reading; we were the only ones in the gang who dug them. He had auburn hair, grey green eyes, and a good build for someone his age.

Johnny Cade was the quietest of the gang. The only people he really spoke to were Pony and Dally, but he loved us like we were his own siblings, and we felt the same way towards him. We tried our best to give him all the love we had, considering that his parents treated him like shit, but we knew that we could never replace them, as much as we wanted to. He was dark skinned, with thick greasy hair that fell over his dark eyes.

Darry was my older brother, and sort of the father figure of our gang. He had a great build for someone in our part of town, and could take on anyone who tried to fight him, not that they did. He had dark brown hair and icy green blue eyes. He never really smiled anymore, not having much time for fun because of his two jobs. And right now wasn't an exception. He was standing in a corner of the room with his arms crossed, and his mouth was set in a tight line.

"Who just dropped you off?" His voice was hard, and I could feel the chills running down my spine, even though it was relatively warm. I debated with myself for a couple of seconds, wondering if I should just say a friend or answer honestly.

"Tim Shepard," I said finally, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Soda snap his head up at the name.

"What were you doing with him?"

"He drove me home from his place."

Something flashed in his eyes, and Two-Bit squeezed my hand.

"What were you doing over there?" Darry asked, coming closer. My heart was pounding, and I breathed slowly, counting. If he found out what I had been doing...

"I saw Angela after visitin' Dally and we went over to her house," I lied, trying to keep my voice even. "Her parents came back though and they started to fight, so Tim brought me home." I was looking anywhere but him, afraid that my eyes would show that I was lying.

Darry stepped in front of me, and I slowly lifted up my eyes to look at him, praying that he couldn't smell what Two-Bit had smelled...

"What's that smell?"

_Shit!_

"I uh... I..." I couldn't find the words to say. For fuck's sake, I wasn't about to tell the whole gang what I had done!

"Katherine Joanie Curtis," Darry began, his voice rising, "why the hell were you with Tim Shepard and what did you do with him?"

Everyone was looking at me, and I could see the confusion in Pony's eyes; he was trying to figure out what was happening.

"Darry, she's almost seventeen-" Two-Bit said, but he was cut off by Darry.

"You stay out of this!"

I felt my eyes watering and wiped at them impatiently. Someone gasped, and looking up at everyone, I knew that they knew.

"I can do what the hell I want now Darry!" I screamed, clenching my fists.

"I'm your legal guardian and it's my job to prot-"

For a second I saw Dad instead of Darry, telling me the same thing but not yelling, not in front of everyone. I could feel the embarrassment and anger building up inside of me as my older brother went on, and finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I don't care if you're my legal guardian, you aren't Dad and you never will be, so you can just shut up!"

You could almost feel the tension in the room as I screamed those words at him, and with a sob I ran to my room, locking the door behind me. I could just barely make out the yelling in the living room, and ignored Darry's pounding against my door, begging me to open it.

xXxXxX

I wiped my eyes and sniffed. Fuck, I wish that Darry hadn't asked who had driven me or asked those questions... And the smell... I should have grabbed a bottle of Angela's perfume or something on the way out. The house was quiet now, with just the shuffling of feet and hushed whispers. I could hear Soda and Pony saying goodnight to Darry, and then their door closed. Footsteps approached my door, and a person knocked tentatively. I held my breath as Darry said my name and knocked again. After a few seconds he sighed, and walked away, his bedroom door closing.

I reached to my bedside table and turned on my light, looking at my bedside clock. It was just past midnight; I had been in the darkness for almost an hour. With a sigh, I grabbed a notebook and pen out of the drawer, thinking for a moment, then began writing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the comment and subscription :) It means an awful lot to me. This is the first part of the second chapter, I'll post the second part tomorrow or the day after. There's going to be some big time action coming up soon, I promise :) In the meantime, here's a little bit into Katherine's mind.********  
I do not own _The Outsiders._**

* * *

When I woke up, I felt all stiff, and the sun was shining brightly through the thin curtains. I rubbed my eyes, looking at my bedside clock. It has hardly past nine o'clock, why did I wake up so early? Not only was it a Sunday, but it was summer.

There was a knock at my door, and Darry called my name, telling me to open up. It didn't sound like it was the first time he knocked.

"I'm comin', Jesus..." I said, biting back a yawn. My voice was groggy, and as I sat up I realized that I had fallen asleep with my clothes on. My notebook was lying open near where my head was, the pen still uncapped. I had fallen asleep right in the middle of a sentence.

I got up and opened the door, rubbing my eyes. Darry was standing there, showered, shaved and dressed. Typical of him, already being ready early in the morning even if he didn't have work. He looked somewhat surprised when I opened the door, and I realized that I mustn't look so great. I probably didn't smell so great either, because when I breathed in, I could still smell stale cigarettes and sex.

"We need to talk," he said, covering up his surprise. I moved away, and held the door open for him. He came in, pulling out the chair from my desk as I sat down on my bed, closing the notebook.

"About last night..." His voice was firm and hard, but I could tell that he was struggling to find the right terms. "Can you... Would you care to explain what happened?"

"What does it look like to you?" I snapped, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Katherine... How long has this been going on?"

"Almost five months," I answered harshly. Man, my face was so hot, I was surprised steam wasn't coming out of my ears. But I was counting the seconds when he would realize it.

"Five months... But..." he was counting under his breath, confused, not wanting to believe what he was thinking was true. "Katherine, what the fuck?"

"That's right Darry!" I screamed, turning on my heels to face him. Tears of anger and embarrassment fell down my cheeks, and I wiped at them impatiently. "I'm a slut! Your baby sister is a slut!" I let out a sob, and my legs failed me. I dropped down to my knees and cried. I didn't want him to find him to find out about Tim Shepard; Dally was already bad. And the other guys that I had stuff with, guys from school, that I met at my job or some random guy at a party. I had kissed so many guys and let them touch me in places that only someone I loved should touch. Oh, what would Mama and Dad say if they knew what I was doing?

That thought just made me cry harder, and I coughed on my tears, trying to control myself. Darry lifted me and sat me back down on the bed, letting me cry on his chest.

He handed me his handkerchief when I finished crying, avoiding my gaze, but looking at him, I could see what he was feeling. Shame. Girls who slept and flirted with guys left and right, especially on our side of town, weren't uncommon, but no one expected to find out that their daughter or their sister was one of those girls.

I handed the piece of tissue back to him, and he took it back, then got up, sighing. "You're grounded until September." I looked up at him, knowing that he had more to say. "I'm not doing it just because I want to. What you said last night, about me not being Dad. That's true... But I just want the best for you." He sighed, and continued on. "Before Mom and Dad died, I promised them that I would protect you guys. If you're going to keep seeing Shepard and I don't want to know how many other guys, you're going to get seriously hurt or in trouble."

I just nodded, looking at my feet. "Can I still see the girls?"

When I said the girls, I meant Evie Thyme, who was Steve's girl, Sandy Channing, Soda's girl, Kathy Moore, Two-Bit's girl. Sylvia White, Dally's on and off girlfriend, sometimes hung out with us, but she spent most of her time with the rougher girls downtown. She was still a good person to know; she knows how to defend herself real well and she's loyal to us, even if she isn't to Dally. Angela Shepard was like the Ponyboy for us, being the youngest and all. Even if she was friends more with girls like the ones Sylvia hung out with, she was still close with us, and we were all protective of her.

My question didn't look like one he expected me to ask, but he nodded once. "Only Sandy, Kathy and Evie. You can't go anywhere besides work unless I agree to it, and I don't want you bein' without one of the boys or the girls I said."

"Fine."

I could see the surprise in his eyes. He looked like he expected me to put up more of a fight, or to say something so that I could get more freedom. But I didn't. I knew that I got what I deserved. And he could have been a lot stricter with me, preventing me from going out at all. There was one thing that I wanted to say though, and it was only when he nearly closed the door that I did.

"Darry," he turned around, looking at me. "I... I'm still a virgin. I promised Mama that I would give it to someone that I loved."

He looked at me for a few seconds, and I swore I could have seen the hint of a smile cross his face before he closed the door.

God, I didn't get why when a guy went under a girl's shirt or had sex with several of them, he was a legend: all his friends admired him and half the time most girls would do anything to have a night with him. But if a girl had sex or did stuff with a number of guys, she was considered a whore. The guys treated her like crap and her friends turned on her.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. It was light blond now that it was summer, a bit longer than my shoulders because I've let it grow out, and usually soft and silky. Now it was just all tangled and nasty. I grabbed a brush from my vanity and began brushing it. I have something about brushing my hair. I love it. I can spend such a long time brushing it until it was soft and tangle free, and even when it was I would just run the brush through it. It was soothing for me.

xXxXxX

Someone knocked on the door and I told him to come in. Ponyboy stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"Hey little brother," I said, looking at him in the mirror.

"Hey," he sat down on the bed, swinging his legs. He was a cute kid, definitely. With long, soft auburn hair and pretty grey green eyes, still a bit of baby fat but with a good build, he was pretty good looking. He just turned fourteen, still wasn't interested in girls, but I knew the girls already swooned over him. Maybe in a year he'd have a girlfriend. With the way he is, he's going to get himself a nice girl, someone like Sandy.

I could tell that he wanted to ask me something, and kept looking at him in the mirror, brushing my hair, until he finally looked at me.

"Do you love Tim Shepard?"

I almost choked on my saliva then. For such a quiet kid and someone who's uncomfortable around girls, he sure could be blunt when it came to questions like these.

"No," I answered honestly, trying to keep my voice level.

He nodded, still swinging his legs. He seemed satisfied with my answer, but I could tell that he wanted to ask something else.

"Ask away Pony."

His cheeks darkened, and I grinned at him, showing him that I wasn't too bothered by his question. I mean, it's not like he asked me if I wanted to marry Shepard.

"Did you... Do you love Dally?"

If the first question shocked me, then this was nothing compared to it. I dropped my hairbrush, whipping around to look at him. He blushed even more, looking at his worn out tennis shoes.

"Why-"

"I'm just curious," he answered softly.

Good God, what was I supposed to answer to the kid? Yes, I loved Dallas fuckin' Winston with all my heart?

I sighed, and picked up my brush, choosing my words carefully. "Dally and I are pretty close... Yes I love him."

"I meant when you were together."

"Jesus Christ Pony," I muttered, "I guess... I mean he was my first love. You never forget your first love. And since we're still friends, I mean... It's going to be kind of hard not to love your friends. I don't love him in the same way though."

"Okay," he looked up at me with an embarrassed look. "I'm sorry Darry found out."

"He was bound to find out sometime kid," I said, sighing. "Now got out, I need to get my stuff ready for my shower."

xXxXxX

I stepped out of the bathroom and went to go put my things in my bedroom before walking out to the living room, brushing my still somewhat damp hair out of my eyes. It would dry quickly; it was already eighty something degrees at ten in the morning.

Steve and Soda were sitting on the floor, playing poker. I wondered vaguely for a second where Darry was but a hug from Soda snapped me out of my thoughts before I could think too much about it.

"You took long enough in the shower," he teased, kissing my cheek.

"Shorter than you take to grease your hair," I kidded back, ruffling his ungreased hair.

"Aw, shut up," he said, "I bet us that I'll take less long than you today."

"In your dreams," I giggled, sitting down next to Two-Bit, who waved at me absently as Soda stuck his tongue out at me.

"Tim Shepard?" Steve asked with a smirk when my twin was out of earshot.

"Shut your trap Randle," I hissed, turning around to face him.

"My, my, someone seems mad. Maybe she needs her boyfriend to calm her down," he stood up, looking at me with his arms crossed and an air of superiority. I stood up too, glaring at him.

"Got anything else you'd like to add?" Two-Bit seemed oblivious to what was happening, and Pony and Johnny were trying not to look at us. Steve was biting his lip, still with that stupid smirk of his on his face.

"Did him and Dally ever do you at the sa-"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth I knew that he had regretted saying them. I lifted my hand and made to slap him, but he flinched, leaning away. Steven Christopher Randle flinched.

That was enough to make me pull my hand back. My fingertips grazed his cheek, and he opened his eyes, looking shocked. I was shocked myself. Everyone knew that we didn't get along well, and I smacked him whenever I could. I also noticed the fading marks of a black eye and a bruise near his jaw.

I set my jaw and clenched my fists, giving him a hard look. "You are so fucking lucky that you already have those," I hissed, pointing to his injuries. I didn't want him to know that I felt some sort of pity for him because he looked scared.

He didn't say anything and just stuffed the cards into his back pocket, storming over to the bathroom. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Pony was glaring at the hallway where Steve just disappeared.

Kicking over one of Steve's shoes, I went to the kitchen, got myself a piece of chocolate cake out of the icebox and poured myself a glass of milk. When I turned around, Two-Bit was standing there, his usual grin gone.

"That wasn't cool."

I knew that he was talking about Steve's comment and shrugged, trying to keep my face clear of emotions. Shit, out of all the comments that the idiot could have said, he had to say that one. In front of my best friend, my little brother and his best friend. What a little fucker.

"I still would have hit him if I were you," he said as we made our way out to the living room, where there were only Pony and Johnny, who gave me sympathetic looks. I just gave them a small smile and pushed open the screen door, sitting down in the shade on the front steps. I shoveled a piece of chocolate cake in my mouth, shrugging. My cheeks were still hot, and I drank half of the milk hoping to cool me down.

We sat in silence while I ate my cake, something that was unusual, because even if I was quiet, Two-Bit and I were almost always talking, but at that moment it didn't bother me much; I didn't feel like talking much after what Steve had said.

"Want to go to the park?" he asked as I finished off the crumbs.

"If that means that I don't have to see Steve's face, then sure," I said, getting up.

We went into the house and followed the voices to the kitchen. Steve was leaning against the counter while Soda and Pony were washing the dishes.

"Present for you two," I said, putting my plate and glass into the foamy water. "Two-Bit's taking me out by the way, just so you can tell Darry where we are in case he gets back before we do."

"Where are you guys headed?" Soda asked, flicking some suds at me. From his grin I could tell that he didn't know what had happened, not like I really wanted him to know.

"Park and... Park," Two-Bit grinned, "we'll call if we go anywhere else."

"Alright, have fun."

I ruffled Johnny's hair on my way out, and he swatted my arm, giving me that shy grin of his.

xXxXxX

The park was almost empty when we got there, only a few junior high kids hanging around near the edge, by the trees. It was easy to see that they were somewhat scared of us when they saw us, because Two-Bit looked awfully tough, and by throwing his black handled switchblade in the air and catching it again sure helped the look, and I was playing with my own switchblade. But they relaxed when I ran over to the empty swings, laughing like a kid.

"Come on Two-Bit, push me!"

"You're such a five year old," he laughed, but he came over anyway, putting his blade in his back pocket.

He pushed me higher and higher, until the chain threatened to snap every time I hit a certain height.

"Jesus Christ, how much do you weigh?" he asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Are you insinuating something?" I asked, faking hurt.

"Hell nah, I like my women when they have curves, not when they're only skin and bones."

"Aw, so I have a nice figure?"

"Fuckin' sexy," he laughed, giving me one last push before sitting down in the sand, shielding his eyes from the sun

I pumped my legs a few more times, then let go, closing my eyes and laughing as I flew through the air, just like a trapeze artist. I was weightless; I was free. Until I landed with a soft thud in the hot sand.

"Nice one," Two-Bit said, helping me up, "I think that Soda still beat you though."

I looked where I landed, then over to the monkey bars, which we used as a reference. I was at the halfway mark, and Soda had made it all the way to the end of them.

"I'll make it my goal to beat him before school starts," I said, putting my hands on my hips and looking at the swings.

"You got some sand on your ass," he told me, brushing it off.

"Oh my God, you idiot!" I jumped as he squeezed my ass, and turned to glare at him. He was doubling over in laughter, and I took a swipe at him, but he dodged just in time, then ran away still laughing.

I chased him for a while before finally tackling him in the grass where we wrestled for a few minutes, then we slid down the slide and chased each other again until we collapsed under the elm tree where the junior high kids were after scaring them away. My head was in my friend's lap, and he twirled my hair around his fingers.

"How long?" he asked absently, shifting a bit to get a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.

I somehow knew that he was talking about how long I was grounded for, and answered with the month. He nodded, and handed me his cigarette, putting it to my lips. I took a drag and blew out, away from his face, watching the smoke disperse into the air.

"That ain't so long," he said, reaching for the weed, "just a bit more than a month."

"Can't go out on my own until then though," I sighed, "and I'm assuming no parties or sleeping over at anyone's house. And you know what?" I asked, looking up at him, "I can't see Sylvia or Angela until then."

"Well that's somewhat understandable... And um... Are you still going to... Do..." his hesitation was apparent; he didn't want to say anything that might hurt me.

"Now that Darry must have figured out that Shepard and Dally weren't the only two guys, it kind of kills it," I said, looking up at the bright blue, cloudless sky. "I don't really know, we'll see how things go."

Two-Bit had found out what I was doing one night when we were at a party. It was over in Brumly, and there were a lot of people that we didn't know. So I decided to play around a bit and ended up with a Brumly boy in one of the bedrooms, and Two-Bit saw me going at it with him. Two-Bit and I ended up yelling at each other and not speaking for two weeks. He eventually got over it, and he couldn't really fight me when I told him that he didn't exactly stick to one girl. Even after I said that he still didn't approve of what I was doing, but he quit trying to get me to stop what I was doing.

"Two-Bit?"

He put out his half smoked cigarette, giving me a quizzical look as I sat up, looking into his bright grey eyes.

"Do you think I'm a slut?"

He laughed for a few seconds, thinking that I was kidding, but when he saw that I wasn't laughing, he stopped.

"You're serious?"

I nodded. "Answer honestly."

He was quiet for a few seconds, then ran a hand through his rusty colored hair. Like I said, he had has more than his fair share of girls, and to a certain extent I was half expecting him to say yes, but he didn't.

"But I..." I was honestly kind of shocked. "Are you just saying that because you don't want to hurt my feelings?" I demanded.

He laughed gently, rubbing my hair. "You're just lost and need some guidance to help you get on the right path."

"That's a nice way of putting it," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"Oh come on, do you even like what you do?"

I was about to say yes, but thought about it for a minute when he gave me a look. I did what I did to forget about Mom and Dad, but I did like the sensations of being loved, even if it was superficial. But if I had to be honest with myself, I sometimes wished that I could find myself a steady boyfriend who loved me for me, and didn't just want a quick fuck.

"No I don't," I whispered, playing with the hem of my skirt.

"I'll help you get over those actions," he said, grinning softly and taking my hand in his.

We spoke for about another hour and I found myself in his lap again as time passed. I was dozing off, it was really hot and Two Bit was going on about something that had happened to him.

"Hey, Kit-Kat, wake up," someone was shaking me and I opened my eyes, stretching out my body. Two Bit was looking at me with that goofy grin of his, and poked my cheek. "You fell asleep little miss. Am I really that boring?"

"No, just kinda tired," I grinned back, stretching and putting myself in a sitting position.

"Do you want to head back to your place?"

"I want to go somewhere that's air conditioned," I said, hitching up the hem of my skirt so I could cross my legs. "How about that mall at the end of the Ribbon?"

"Bad enough," he grinned, helping me up, "let's stop by your place to see if the rest wanna come with us."

"Aww, I don't wanna see Steve's ugly mug though," I groaned, and he laughed.

"Okay, well we need to tell one of your brothers that we're heading to the mall, otherwise Darry will have our hides.

XxXxXx

I opened the front gate and got out of the way to let my friend pass through, but he just picked me up and carried me bridal style to the front door despite my protest that somehow turned to laughter as he dug his fingers into my sides. He kicked open the front door then set my down, kissing my cheek.

"You're an asshole," I told him, hitting his arm.

"Language," a voice behind me said, and I jumped, turning around to see Darry in his armchair with the paper on his lap. By his look, I judged that it was a bad time to tell him that he didn't usually care whether I swore or not, so I just apologized.

"Where's the rest of the gang?" Two-Bit asked.

"Steve and Soda went out to see their girls, and Pony and Johnny went to the movies."

"Guess it's just gonna be us two then," Two-Bit grinned, rubbing my hair, "unless Darry..."

"I've got bills to pay," he sighed, "where are you two headed anyway?"

"The mall," I replied, "at least it's air conditioned."

He looked at us for a few seconds, then turned back to the paper. "Be back before seven."

I glanced at Two-Bit, who shrugged and pulled me out of the house before Darry could say anything to prevent us from going out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the second part of chapter two. Kind of short though... I haven't yet written the fourth chapter, so it might be come out next week. Also, I'm in my last six weeks of school for this year and I've got a lot of exams to prepare for, so updates until I finish all of that might take a while. Also, I forgot to mention this, but I don't own any of the characters created by S.E. Hinton, and I own nothing except for 98% of the plot. The title comes from the Beach Boys's _I Get Around. _Enjoy (:********  
I do not own _The Outsiders._ **

* * *

The Ribbon was a two mile stretch of road with stores, movie houses and fast food restaurants. It started suddenly with a movie house and a few restaurants, and ended at a mall, the one where Two-Bit and I were headed. On Friday nights and weekends, the Ribbon was full of teenagers and college students looking for action. It was hardly noon, so there wasn't much activity, but by late afternoon... Hello drag races and crowded sidewalks. Since there was hardly any activity and no cops around, Two-Bit tried his luck and slammed his foot on the accelerator, speeding through the red lights.

"You're a maniac," I told him as we got out of the car when we reached the mall.

"But I'm your maniac," he said, looping his arm through mine.

"Gallant today, are we now Keith?" I teased.

"Anything for m'lady Katherine Curtis," he said in a heavy British accent, and I gave him a weird look. For a couple of seconds, we stared at each other, and eventually a grin made his way to his face. I felt my own smile go on my face, and eventually a giggle escaped from my lips. He started to laugh too, and lead me to the mall, with a skip in his steps.

xXxXxX

We got some food before going to the stores, and Two-Bit stuffed himself with a burger, three servings of fries and two large Cokes.

"You're such a pig," I said as we threw away our trash and polished off my chocolate milk shake.

"But I'm your pig!" He grinned, throwing an arm around my shoulders and leading me away from the food court.

"You seem to be my everything today," I laughed, kissing his cheek.

xXxXxX

We walked around for a little while, and I got myself a new pair of jeans while Two-Bit walked out with almost two outfits after five stores. He would tear off the security tags every time and stuffed the clothes into my bag.

Eventually, Two-Bit ran into some friends of his that I didn't know that well, and I was just standing by his side, staring around at the people and stores, when someone caught my eye.

"Hey, Two-Bit," I interrupted him, "there's a store I wanna go into, I'll be no more than fifteen minutes okay?"

"Wait, what? No, Katherine I'll just say bye and-"

"It's fine!" I reassured him, smiling, "seriously. I'll see you in a few minutes, I'll be quick."

I walked away before he could say anything, and past the person I saw. I knew that he was following me though, and stepped behind a pillar where Two-Bit couldn't see us.

Before I could say a word, the person wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his lips to mine hard, making me gasp and stand on my toes, wanting more.

"It's nice to see you here Miss Curtis," he smirked.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, somewhat breathless. I could feel my cheeks burning, and knew that he knew, because he put his hand to my cheek.

"Saw you and Mathews drive by on the Ribbon, so I got a ride," he replied, leaning against the pillar. He rubbed his fingers against his scar, the one aspect of him that gave him the classic Juvenile Delinquent look.

"Darry won't let me see you anymore," I told him, looking at my shoes, "he grounded me until September too."

"Yeah, he stopped by to tell me that. The old man wasn't happy of being woken up early. But," he paused, looking into my eyes intensely, "you're going to stop him from seeing me?" he scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I mean... I can't go out until then."

"Sneak out."

"I can't do that Tim! He's going to be checking in on me in my room until he falls asleep!"

He kissed me again, holding me by the wrists so that they were above my head. His eyes were dark, and there was a hint of danger in them, but I wasn't scared. I couldn't help smiling as he leaned in close, and I closed my eyes, my breathing becoming heavier. "Tonight. Midnight. I will sneak into your room." The grip around my wrists was released, and when I opened my eyes, I saw his retreating figure.

"Goodness, what have I gotten myself into?" I asked, running a hand through my hair. Sure, I was smiling, but man, if I got caught, Darry would have me skinned alive.

xXxXxX

Two-Bit and I left the mall about an hour later then drove up and down the Ribbon for a few hours, stopping to talk to people and catch up with them, finding out who was seeing who, who was going to fight who, who ran away and who came back. I was having a really swell time, before Two-Bit saw the time and pushed me into his car, screeching off back to my place.

We arrived home at 7:15, and Darry wasn't really pleased. He asked Two-Bit if I had gone off, and, thank God, Two-Bit said that I was with him the whole time.

"Alright, alright, I trust you," he defended when I began listing people who could prove that I hadn't gone anywhere I wasn't supposed to. He turned back to the stove, where there was a pot of boiling pasta. "Your mother called by the way, the bar called and she needs you to go home so you can keep an eye on your sister."

"But your dinner smells so good!" he opened the oven before Darry swatted his hand away, but not before I saw some chicken.

Darry's expression softened up a bit, and he looked at me. "Katherine will stop by after and give you guys some, okay?"

"Alright, that's cool. Can't I stay for dinner though?"

"Your mother already left, and she doesn't want your sister being alone for too long."

Two-Bit groaned, but he hugged me, then said goodbye to Darry and the rest of the family as he made his way out.

xXxXxX

I climbed up one of the trees in the backyard, wanting to be alone. I had just finished washing the dishes with Soda. Johnny and Ponyboy were out on the front porch, Darry was paying the bills and Sodapop went off to his and Pony's room to change.

The sun was low in the sky, and the sky was beginning to darken. A couple of stars were visible if I turned my head east, but I was facing west. The sky was really pretty, a navy blue higher up, and a mixture of pink, yellow, orange and a bit of green where the sun was. I closed my eyes, thinking about the time Dad and Mom drove us one summer to California, and we watched the sunsets every evening by the beach. The sky would change from a beautiful combination of deep orange, coral pink, blood red and a soft yellow to deep indigo and dark blue, and the sky slowly began to get peppered with minuscule diamonds.

"Hey Kit-Kat," Soda appeared next to me, a small smile on his face.

"Hey Soda," I scooted aside so he could sit down, and he wrapped an arm around me. He began to stroke my hair, running his fingers through the strands, humming softly. _My Girl_, by The Temptations. The song that Dad used to sing to me in the year before he died, because I was always his girl.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked when he stopped.

"No," he answered quietly. He looked at me, his brown eyes soft with sadness, and squeezed my shoulders, kissing the top of my head. "It's just... What would Mom and Dad say, if they knew that you went with all those guys for love or lust instead of trying to find someone who would love you for who you are. Darry is awfully mad though..."

"I know," I sighed, leaning my head on his shoulder, "I know that what I did is fucked up... I just... I don't know..."

"Promise me that you won't do those things again," he said, pain in his voice, "I don't want you to get hurt..."

I didn't reply, just kissed his cheek. I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold that promise, and I hoped that the kiss would satisfy him.

"You promise me?" he asked again, and I nodded, but it wasn't enough for him. "Katherine, promise me that you will not go sleeping around with any guy who comes up to you anymore," he said in a somewhat rough tone.

"I promise Sodapop," I told him, lowering my eyes and blushing, my heart pounding because I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold the promise.

xXxXxX

"I'm heading off to bed now, don't stay up too late," Darry said, getting up from his armchair.

"Yeah, I'm going to head to bed soon too," Soda said, looking up from his magazine.

"You two heard me?" Darry asked to Pony and me. My younger brother looked up from his thick book and nodded, and I turned down the volume on the television that was playing _Blue Hawaii_, telling him that I head. "Alright, well sleep well then."

"Night," we told Darry in unison as he left the room

xXxXxX

I bit back a yawn, stretching my arms. Soda had gone to bed about twenty minutes ago, and I've been channel surfing since. Pony was curled up in the armchair, and I let out a giggle when I glanced at him. His book was on the chair's arm, and his head was lying on it. Fast asleep obviously.

"Hey Pone," I turned off the television and shook him gently, "Pony, wake up."

"Wh-what?" His voice was groggy and he looked up at me sleepily.

"You fell asleep kiddo. Darry's gonna kill me if he finds out that I let you stay up too late."

He got up without protest, and shuffled to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"Good night Pony," I said when he came out, ruffling his hair.

"Night Kat."

I freshened up as best as I could without turning on the shower: washed my face, arms, legs and most of my body with a damp wash cloth, shaved my legs and armpits, brushed my teeth and hair.

I softly closed the door to my bedroom, locking it, and opened the window, wincing as it creaked. Then I stripped off my clothes, changed into a lacey white and baby blue baby doll pajama set and sat on my bed, turned on the light and grabbed my notebook, waiting.

_The girl hopped out of her window, then ran over to front of the house. The warm summer night breeze felt good on her skin, and she let out a laugh, happy to get out of her house, but quickly covered her mouth, looking back. She was safe though; no lights turned on inside the house. She let out another muffled laugh, then began jogging to the end of the block for her ride, already hearing the music.__  
__  
A sleek black Mustang was waiting at the curb next to the stop sign, and Elvis was blasting from the speakers. One look at the driver of the car, and one could tell that is was stolen. The individual was tall with a good build, with greased back dark hair and intense green eyes. He looked like the typical juvenile delinquent, with a black leather jacket, tight white shirt, jeans and a cigarette dangling from his lips.__  
_  
"Sounds very much like me, 'cept the eye color is wrong and you're missing the scar," a voice behind me said, making me jump.

"Tim!" I threw the notebook away from me and turned off the light, my breathing heavy. It was then that I noticed the smell of cigarettes, and I just had to grin.

"You're a decent writer, is it just for fun or...?" My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I could see that his dark blue ones were bright with excitement and lust.

"I was ticked off at Darry last night and began writing this."

"Mmh..." his eyes scanned my body, and he licked his lips, smirking.

"So, did you come here just to stare at me, or are you going to do something?" I hardly had time to finish my question before he crashed his lips to mine, making me moan. In response he just kissed me harder, trying to block out the noise, not wanting Darry to walk in because he heard noises coming from my room. Tim ran one hand through my hair, pressing my head closer to his, while the other hand slowly began to run up my thigh. I shivered in anticipation as he laid me down on the bed, his hand rubbing my center, but he removed it, grinning into the kiss. I let out a frustrated groan, pulling away.

"Stop the teasing," I muttered, glaring at him.

"No," he growled, attacking my neck with his lips, sucking on the tender skin. I gasped, grabbing his hair and arching my body. His hands found the hem of my baby doll, and he tugged at the fabric, wanting it off. I sat up for a couple of seconds, helping him take it off, and threw it across the room, only then realizing how exposed I was.

"Take off your clothes," I said, covering my chest with my arms.

The excitement in his eyes disappeared to be replaced by anger, but the lust remained.

"Are you giving me orders?" he growled, leaning in closer to me, his eyes burning with lust.

"Maybe I am," I whispered saucily, smirking.

"I don't take orders from anyone," he hissed before cupping my face with one hand, pulling my hair with the other and kissing me, putting his tongue in my mouth. I let out a small yelp but kissed back, tugging at the bottom of his t-shirt. "You're insistent, aren't you?" he asked, pulling away and taking it off.

"Shut up."

"Mouthy," he said with a smirk, laying me down on the bed before kissing me again, his hands fondling my breasts. I moaned into the kiss, pulling at his hair. I could feel his growing erection despite the layer of clothing that separated us and instinctively moved my hand to it, but he swat it away.

"Later."

"I've got work tomorrow, I can't be up too-"

"Later," he hissed, twisting my nipple. I closed my eyes, biting back a moan.

"Fuck, Tim..."

He fondled my breasts for a little while, swallowing my moans. He began to make his way lower, licking and sucking on my nipples as I covered my mouth, trying to keep back my moans. He swiftly removed my panties and stuck two fingers inside of me, not giving me time to adjust.

"Mmmh, god damn," I moaned, arching my back off the bed. Keeping his fingers inside of me, he began to kiss me again, biting my bottom lip before slipping his tongue into my mouth. He added an extra finger inside of me, and I let out a muffled moan, closing my eyes tighter. My hands were around his shoulders, and I dug my nails into his shoulder blades. My breathing was getting shallower by the second, and I knew that I wasn't going to last much longer.

"Tim…"

"I know," he smirked at me in the darkness and pumped his fingers harder. I felt my eyes widen and buried my face in his shoulder, letting out a muffled moan as I came. My breathing was heavy and he got off of me, licking his fingers. I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow, and in response he cupped my face, kissing me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Heyy! Sorry for not updating earlier, I'm really busy with school at the moment! I have ten days of school left then some exams, but once summer arrives I'll update a lot more! I hope you enjoy this chapter :) And I don't own the event that takes place in it. And sorry if Tim seems OCC in this, but I have plans for him :)****  
I do not own _The Outsiders._**

* * *

I shut my eyes, stretching my arms above my head. The sun was shining brightly through the thin lavender curtains, creating a soft, pleasant effect upon the room, which still smelled faintly of cigarettes. Tim had been sneaking into my room nearly every night for the past three weeks, and sometimes I would wake up to find him still in my bed, my head on his chest and his arm wrapped around me. On those mornings, I would usually let him sleep, making sure to keep my door shut. On others, he would be awake before me, smoking a cigarette and looking around. Those days, we would get dressed, and he would leave without a word, just a short make out session.

I sighed, sitting up, keeping my sheets wrapped around me. I had taken to falling asleep naked, and I was thankful that I was the only girl in the house, so I had a bit more privacy than the others, and people always had to knock before entering. Awkward moments had came out of times when the guys didn't knock. Soda and Steve barged into my room once when I was getting changed, and Steve didn't exactly avert his eyes. I couldn't look at him for a few weeks after that.

The clock on my bedside table read nine ten, and I sighed; I had to be at work in a bit more than an hour. Making sure that the sheet was wrapped tightly around me (I would have to change the sheets anyway), I made my way to my closet and picked out a light blue dress, clean socks and underwear, and a pair of heels.

"Soda?" I called out, poking my head out my bedroom door.

"He and Darry left," Pony answered, appearing in the hallway as I walked out my room, "oh shit, sorry!"

"I'm covered up, geez," I said, rolling my eyes, "is there any cake left in the icebox?"

"Yeah, I'll have some ready when you're finished."

"Anyone else here?"

"Johnny, and I think Two-Bit may be sleeping off a hangover now, so he might be coming later."

"Lovely," I smirked, "thanks little brother. I'll be out in twenty minutes."

xXxXxX

I capped my eyeliner and put it back in the medicine cabinet, looking at my reflection. My hair was still damp, but it would be dry by the time that I got to work.

"Pony, my cake," I called out in a singsong voice, after I threw my dirty sheets in a heap in the bedroom.

"In the kitchen," he called back.

I skipped to the kitchen, where there was a glass of chocolate milk and cake.

"Thank you," I said, sitting down next to him in the living room, "hey Johnny."

"Hey," he smiled, "got any threes?"

"Wow, nice," I laughed, "go fish at fourteen and sixteen years old."

"Shut up," Pony said, "go fish."

Watching my brother and his best friend play cards was a lot different than watching Steve and Sodapop or Dallas and Tim play. They weren't yelling at each other or calling the other a cheater, and they seemed to be communicating with their eyes. I thought for a second that it was really creepy, but then I remembered that Soda and I could read each other like books; we didn't need to talk to know what the other was thinking.

"I'm going to head over to Two-Bit's house, y'all wanna come with me?"

"Don't you have work?" Pony asked, throwing a card at Johnny.

"Yeah, but I'm just going to stop by and wake him up then head to the Dingo."

"We'll meet ya for lunch," he said, picking a card from the deck.

"Alright, sounds good," I smiled, patting his head, "see ya two later."

"See ya."

_Ding Dong!_

There was the sound of pattering feet, and the front door opened loudly, revealing a ten year old girl with long auburn hair and shining green hazel eyes.

"Hi Katherine!" Melanie Mathews, Two-Bit's kid sister, pushed the screen door open and hugged me tightly, beaming.

"Hey sweetie pie!" I smiled, "are your mother and brother home?"

"Mama is getting ready for bed and Keith is still asleep."

"Sweet," I took her hand and she led me inside the house, "I'm just going to say hi to your mom and then maybe go wake up your brother. Are you doing anything today?"

"I was going to play with my dolls or read, Mama won't let me walk to Marilyn's house."

"You have no idea what could happen to you," Elizabeth Mathews came into the kitchen, and I smiled warmly at her. I loved Two-Bit's mother; she was just like my second mother. I could trust her with anything.

"Hi Elizabeth," I greeted, hugging her, "how are you?"

"Tired," she answered, sitting down. I could hear a slight edge to her voice, but she smiled, and Melanie climbed into her lap. "How about you?"

"I'm alright, I'm happy that there's only a bit more than a week until I can go out again." Elizabeth knew that I had been grounded and what I did to get grounded, but like always, she was non judgmental.

"That's good," she took a bite out of her toast and looked at the kitchen clock, " don't you have to be at work?"

"Twenty minutes," I said, "I just wanted to stop by and see if Two-Bit was awake, but he isn't so I suppose I'll just head over to the Dingo." An idea popped into my head and I looked at Mel. "Can I take her to work with me?"

A smile brightened up the young girl's face, and she looked at her mother. "Can I go Mama, please?"

Melanie loved coming to work with me. All the waitresses loved her, and it always meant drinks and hot meals for her, all on the house. It was a slightly rough hangout, with fights breaking out every once in a while, but most people were usually nice to her.

Elizabeth sighed, but smiled. "Yes sweetie, you can go."

"Yay, thank you mama!"

"I'll have her back when my shift is over," I told Elizabeth as Melanie ran out of the room to get her shoes.

"Just bring her back in one piece," she laughed, "and make sure Melanie behaves herself, okay?"

"Just worry about it, everyone loves her! Tell Keith to stop by if he can, and sleep well."

"If you want sweetie, you can wake him up," she said with a wink.

"Are you sure?" I asked, but already knowing how I would wake him up and biting back a smile.

"Go ahead," she nodded, smiling.

"Melanie, baby!" I called, and she came running down of the hallway, her Chucks untied, "you want to help me wake up Keith?"

"Yes!" she laughed, bouncing.

"But you need to be really quiet," I whispered, putting a finger to my lips.

"Okay," she giggled, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Come on," I took one of her hands, tiptoeing over to Two-Bit's door. I gently turned the doorknob, and the door squeaked a little bit. We walked quietly into my friend's room, and I winced a little as I saw some _Playboy_ magazines on the floor.

"Oh, I've seen plenty of those," Melanie said as I tried to kick them out of the way.

"Those aren't anything a ten year old girl should see," I told her. We came to the bed, and I had to bit back a laugh as I saw the way my friend was. He had kicked off the sheets, and they were lying in a heap on the floor. He was sprawled on it his back to the air, and his head was in one of his arms and the other was on the side of his bed.

"Come on, go to the other side," I whispered. She stifled a giggle with her hands and came by my side.

"GOOD MORNING KEITH!" We shouted, flipping over the mattress.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" he screamed as he fell out of bed.

We ran out of the room, laughing so hard that we almost fell over. I scooped Melanie into my arms, pushing open the front door, yelling bye to her mother.

xXxXxX

"Hi Kathy!" Melanie smiled at the pretty blonde behind the bar. She was Two-Bit's on and off, currently off, girlfriend, but I knew that they missed each other like crazy. Kathy was just too shy to do anything, and Two-Bit wasn't really helping matters by flirting with every blonde he came across.

"Hi Melanie, hi Katherine," she greeted, grinning at us, "there's a few people in the corner booth who seem just about ready to order."

I looked to where she was pointing and saw a group of guys around our age. Socy looking guys.

The Dingo was mostly a greaser hangout, but people from other social classes ate there too. It was uncommon, but not rare.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, taking my apron out of my skirt and putting it on. I handed my purse to Melanie, and told her to go sit at the counter. There was another family, and she sat next to them, introducing herself to the girl who seemed to be around her age. I smiled: she was just like Two-Bit in the way that she was extremely friendly and nice.

I kept the smile and went over to the booth. I recognized two of the boys from school, but the other one was unfamiliar to me. They all had clean cut hair and some colored button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. When they saw me, the two from school gave me unpleasant smiles, while the other one gave me a genuine smile.

"Hi, I'm Kat-"

"We know who you are," Andrew Tennant snarled, flicking his straw wrapper at me, and David Smith snickered as the one who I didn't know slunk down in his seat. He looked nice enough; he had blond hair that was a bit messy, hazel eyes and a good build. I could see his arms flexing, and I gulped, trying to keep my hormones in check, and looked away from them.

"Listen Miss Curtis, we want three burgers with fries and Cokes. And make sure that the food isn't too greasy, we don't need any of your nasty germs."

I narrowed my eyes at the insult, writing down the order, then looked back up at Tennant. "Do you want any fried newborn baby fingers or fresh kindergarten children brains with that?"

The boy I didn't know seemed to sink lower into his seat, the the two boys from school gave me hard looks.

"Just get our food Curtis."

"No manners at all," I muttered under my breath as I walked away.

xXxXxX

The boys were talking about college football when I came back with their food, and only the boy who I didn't know acknowledged me.

"Thanks Kat," he smiled.

I smiled too, and cursed myself when I felt myself blushing. "My full name is Katherine, but you're welcome..."

"Michael."

"Michael," I repeated, grinning.

"Stay with us man!" Tennant said, "we asked you if you were going to try out for the football team."

Michael gave me an apologetic smile but I just shook my head, walking away.

xXxXxX

"Curtis, the check!"

"Good fucking lord," I muttered, putting my face in my hands. I looked up at Melanie, and her mouth was in the form of a small _O_. I mentally smacked myself, and put my finger to my lips. "You didn't hear anything."

"Curtis!"

I ignored the looks of the other waitresses, and slammed the check down on the boys' table.

"Manners Curtis," Smith said, giving me a dark but mocking look.

I bit my tongue, keeping back a rude remark, and walked away, but not before I heard Michael say that he's pay for the check.

"I'm sorry I put you to that table," Kathy said, biting her lip.

"One of them isn't that bad," I told her, looking at them. They seemed to be fighting over the check, and Tennant shot me a hard look. He grabbed the check from Michael, and scribbled something on it, then he and Smith stood up, walking away. Michael stayed at the table for a few seconds then took something out of his pocket before running after his friends.

"He _is_ a looker," Kathy laughed, "doesn't seem that bad either. But he's probably going to turn out just like the rest of them."

"Oh well," I shrugged, "come on, help me clear the table."

I put the check and tip into the pocket of my apron. After giving the dishes to the busboy, I slipped away to a corner of the restaurant and counted the tip. One fifty eight. One of the biggest tips that I've ever received. The check was all scribbled over, and in the tip area was written zero. I noticed that there was something written on the back, and turned it over.

_Miss Katherine Curtis,_

_I just wanted to apologize for David and Andrew's behavior. It wasn't really hard to tell that you three don't like each other. I'm new here; I just moved here from San Francisco and the hate between the social classes isn't as present. You seem to be really nice, I hope we can see each other soon._

_Michael_

xXxXxX

"What's the huge grin for?" Soda asked, punching me lightly in the arm.

"Aren't I allowed to be happy that my friends and brothers stopped by?" I answered, looking at him and the rest. Steve and Two-Bit were coloring with Melanie, although the latter male kept sneaking glances at Kathy, who tried to ignore him as she went from table to table, picking up orders and giving out food. Pony and Johnny were eating their food quietly, looking around at the people in the restaurant. Evie and Sandy were also on their lunch break, and they gave me interested looks, smiling.

"Someone caught your eye?" Evie joked, flipping her long dark hair.

"Someone did!" Sandy squealed as I turned away, "tell us about him!"

I was about to answer when I heard a loud shout from the outside. We all turned towards the window to see two twenty something year olds yelling at each other in the parking lot, and a small crowd was gathering.

"Lovely, a fight," I said sarcastically, "I'll be back."

I could hear the yelling before I went out the door, and gathered that the fight was about a girl. This wouldn't be an easy one to break up.

In the center of the crowd were three greasers, two guys and a girl. The girl was the only one who wasn't screaming or cheering them on, and she wasn't quite in the center of the circle. She had messy dirty blonde hair, dull blue eyes and heavy makeup, and it was falling down her face in streaks because of her tears. Her shirt just reached the top of her skirt, which was a few inches above her knees. In short, the kind of girl I could have become if I didn't have my brothers.

"I saw your kissin' her, don't try to fucking lie to me!" one of the guys yelled, a guy with heavily greased blond hair.

"I didn't kiss her!" the other one shouted back, one with long brown hair, "you need to get your fuckin' eyes checked man, I was just huggin' her!"

I pushed my way through the crowd, trying to get the boys' attention. "Hey!" but they continued to shout at each other, and I made my way next to the girl. "Hey!"

"What do you want?" the guy with the blond hair snapped, giving me a smoldering glare that strongly reminded me of Dallas or Tim.

"Quit fightin'! If y'all want to do it, do it somewhere else!"

"I ain't gonna let some bitch tell me what to do!" the dark hair boy snarled at me. The comment was received with angry shouts and gasps, but I just stood my ground, crossing my arms. Glancing towards the restaurant window, I saw my friends pressed against it, all with anxious looks.

"Please get off restaurant property," I said calmly, but the danger was evident in my voice.

"Come on Jones, stop being a little bitch and fight me like a real man!" the other one yelled, lunging at him.

I don't remember much of what happened next, except the sound of a gunshot, screams, getting tackled to the ground and feeling a sharp pain on my elbows. When I opened my eyes after falling, I saw Tim Shepard above me, and my mouth fell open in shock. He just gave me a grim smile, nodded and got off me, running out of my sight.

I sat up, slightly disoriented by all the screaming and people running around. To my left, someone was crying out, cursing in a shaky voice. Looking that direction, I saw a group of people, a lot with worried expressions. I got up, shaking my head to clear it, and moved past the people to see what was going on. On the ground was the same girl as earlier, only her tears were real, and her skirt was covered with blood.

"Fuck, isn't anyone going to do something?" I screamed, dropping down to my knees. "Get me a towel, water and some alcohol!"

"Oh my fucking God, thank God you're okay!" Soda appeared next to me and hugged me tightly. I could feel his body shaking, and I hugged him back, closing my eyes.

"I'm okay Pepsi, I'm okay..." I told him when he pulled away, his eyes bright and his features etched with concern. "Tim... Tim Shepard pushed me out of the way. Where is he?"

He pointed over his shoulder and through the crowd of people I could see Tim punching the guy named Jones repeatedly, screaming at him. For a moment I smiled, then turned back to the girl. Soda had begun to take off his wife beater and tore it into strips, trying to clean the blood up. Kathy appeared by our side with a pitcher of water, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a few towels.

"Are you okay Kat?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, it's her that I'm worried about..." the girl was crying, choking out curses and calling for her boyfriend. Soda immediately sat next to her and cradled her head in his lap, talking to her soothingly. I looked at Kathy and she nodded. We lifted the girl's skirt as much as we could, and began to clean the wound.

xXxXxX

I was deaf to all the noise around me; the only thing of importance was cleaning the girl's wound, so I was surprised when a medic came to us, almost pushing me out of the way as Kathy and I were about to sanitize the wound. "We'll take care of her now ladies, thank you."

We gathered the bloody towels, half empty pitcher and rubbing alcohol and walked away, only stopping once to look at the girl.

"I'll take these back inside," Kathy said, taking the items from Soda and me. We watched her go back inside the restaurant, and Soda wrapped an arm around me, squeezing me hard.

Now that all my attention wasn't focused on the girl, I became aware of all the noises around me. Soda was telling me something, but I wasn't paying attention; I was looking at all the police cars and the few ambulances. Next to one of the cop car was an officer and a tall teenage boy dressed in a tight black shirt and jeans, his face emotionless.

"Tim!" I screamed, breaking away from Soda and running towards my friend. "You can't arrest him!" I told the cop desperately, "he saved me from getting shot! He was defending me!"

"Well miss, did you see what he did to the young man over there?" he asked sourly, pointing behind me to the ambulance. Sitting in it was the boy who Tim was beating up earlier, and he was nursing a bloody nose, several cuts and he would have a black eye in the next few hours.

"He had a heater for God's sake!" I cried, knowing full well that Tim was known to occasionally carry a heater, "and he fired it! Isn't that enough of a reason to beat someone up?"

"We're going to deal with mister Jones separately. As for mister Shepard, he's going to be spending a good two or three weeks in the county jail for his behavior. Now miss," he said, looking at the way that I was dressed, "if you don't have anything else to say, I suggest that you get back to work."

"This isn't fair!" I kicked the ground as the cop turned away, and looked at Tim desperately, "you don't deserve to get jailed!"

"The world isn't fair baby," Tim said, shaking his head. He looked over my shoulder and smirked. "Come here Curtis."

I went as close as I could to him, staring into his stormy dark blue eyes. He brought his cuffed hands to my face, cupping it, and softly stroked my cheek with his thumb. I was slightly shocked at the gesture; normally he would just go in for the kiss. The ghost of something like a genuine smile appeared on his face, and I smiled back, leaning in a bit closer.

"Katherine, wha-"

I thought that I heard Soda for a second, but Shepard pressed his lips to mine, kissing me hungrily, and I melted into his body, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, slightly digging my nails into his neck. He groaned quietly, pulling away for a second before kissing me again, bringing me closer to him until our chests were touching.

"Hey!" we pulled away and saw the same cop from earlier storming toward us with an angry look, and I gave him an equally mad look.

"I thought I told you to get back to work miss!"

"You suggested it," I answered, smirking and lowering my arms, wrapping them around Tim's waist and bringing him closer to me, "that doesn't mean that I have to."

"You want to spend a night or two in jail?" he threatened, his dark eyes hard.

"Don't push it," Tim whispered, sounding just the slightest bit panicked, and I gave him an odd look. "I don't think your brothers would like it if you get in trouble with the fuzz."

"That just sounds weird coming from you."

"Get in the car," the cop snapped, shoving Tim into it.

"Fuck off," Tim snarled, getting out of the cop's grip. He turned to me and pulled me into another kiss. "I'll see you in a few weeks Curtis, stay safe."

"Tell Dally I say hi."

We stared at each other for a couple more seconds, then I leaned in and kissed him a final time. He gave me a lopsided smirk and got into the car, nodding once as the cop slammed the door shut. I turned away, still feeling his lips on mine. I smiled, but felt it falter as I saw my friends. Johnny, Ponyboy, Sandy and Evie all wore shocked expressions, Two-Bit seemed neutral for the most part, although I could see his eyes blazing. Steve had a sour expression and Soda...

"Shit," I muttered. My twin's face was red, and I could tell that he was trying to hold himself back from either saying something or storming over to me. "Hi," I said quietly, approaching them and shuffling my feet.

Sodapop was silent for a few seconds, but I could tell that he was trying to figure out what to say. However, I was not expecting what came out.

"WHAT THE _FUCK_ KATHERINE?" he screamed, and I flinched taking a step back. Two-Bit and Steve held him back, but he didn't seem like he was going to come forward. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH YOU TWO?"

I didn't realize that I was crying until I felt something fall down my cheek. "We ain't dating," I said, wiping away my tears.

"THEN WHY-"

"He cares about me," I answered quietly, looking up at him, "he cares about me an awful lot."

I wasn't just saying that to get Soda off my back. Tim really does care about me. Pony was good friends with Tim's younger brother Curly, and I met Angela through him. The first time that I actually met Tim was when I was in the fifth grade, him in the seventh grade, and he was already a tough as nails hood. I was fascinated by Tim, and used to follow Dally and him around, much to his annoyance. He tried to scare me off for a while, but eventually Dally told him to stop it after he tried to purposely get me lost. I won Tim's respect in the sixth grade, when I got into a fight that I won. Since then, we've developed a close relationship, something that my brothers and friends didn't approve of much. But his protection came in handy a lot of times, and whenever I got unwanted attention from guys, all I had to do was mention Tim's name and they would leave me alone.

"Oh God, Kitty Kat, I'm sorry," Soda's voice was soft, and he hugged me, rubbing my back. "I didn't mean to yell, I really didn't. I was just real mad and it shocked me to see you kissing him, I swear. Please don't cry..."

I buried my face in his shoulder and cried harder, hugging him tightly. "I... I'm sorry Soda. But he... He cares about m-me, he really does! He would never intentionally hurt me, I swear!"

"Baby girl, please don't cry, please. Oh God, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he squeezed me tightly and kissed the top of my head.

I looked up at him, and he wiped away my tears. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I should be the one who should be sorry. Come on, I'll treat you to something nice once you get out of work."

"Soda..."

"No, shut up," he squeezed me one last time and kissed my cheek. "I need to get back to work, but I promise that I'll treat you to something real nice."

"I love you Sodapop."

"I love you too little sister," he smiled.

"Miss Curtis!" the head waitresses, Sandra, stormed out of the restaurant, her hands on her hips. "What are you still doing out here? There are customers inside!"

"There are still customers after all this?" Steve wondered out loud.

"Yes, and they're hungry. If you want your check Miss Curtis I suggest that you get back inside."

"Christ, what is it with all these suggestions?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "I'm coming!"

"Ew, Katherine!" Two-Bit yelled, trying not to laugh.

"Grow up!" I snapped my towel at him as he ran back inside, laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this took a while! I'm finally finished with school but I'm retaking the SAT on Satuday and I've got exams for three days and then a job interview a day after I finish with exams. Then I'll post much more often. I have a lot planned for this story and I can't wait to show you! Tell me what you think about the two male characters in this ;) Anyway, thanks for reading, subscribing and commenting! xx  
************Rated M for sex outside of marriage that doesn't always include love, rape, swearing, abusive relationships, violent deaths, underage drinking and smoking and war.  
I do not own _The Outsiders._**

* * *

"Hey Kit-Kat, wake up!" someone was shaking me hard, and I could feel a weight bouncing around my middle. There was laughter in the person's voice, and he shook me again, told me to get up. I attempted to roll over, swatting my hand in the air, trying to get the person to stop annoying me and to my surprise, my hand came in contact with something hard. "Hey, really?" The weight disappeared and the shaking stopped, so I rolled onto my stomach, grinning into my pillow. Suddenly, the covers were pulled off of me, and the cold air attacked me. "Get up!" he yelled in my ear, and right after the was the sound of bare feet against the hardwood floor.

"Sodapop Patrick Curtis, you are going to pay!" I screamed, jumping out of bed. Dizziness hit me before I reached the door, as it usually does when I get out of bed too suddenly, but I shook it away before chasing my twin. I could hear his laughter before I saw him, and heard his scream as I came into the kitchen. I pushed Steve out of the way, not bothering to apologize, and followed Soda to the living room, tackling him as he tried over a pair of shoes lying around. We rolled around for a few seconds, then I pinned him under me, panting hard.

"Holler uncle," I growled, leaning in close to him.

"Hell no," he laughed, trying to get away from me. I held on tighter to his wrists, grinning as I slowly brought them backward. "Fuck, Katherine!" he yelled, pain evident in his voice, "stop, stop! Holy shit, uncle!"

I kept my hands around his wrists for another second, then let go and got off him, giving him a hand. He took it, stood up and rubbed my head hard, then kissed my cheek.

"You're strong sis," he said, rubbing his wrists, "nice."

"You also got nice panties," a voice behind me said, and I turned around, pulling down my silky nightgown, and saw Steve with a smirk and crossed arms.

"I did not need to know that!" Soda smacked his best friend, and I gave Steve a glare before walking out of the room.

I was fully awake now, but the cold water from my shower helped even more. My teeth were chattering as I slipped on a white blouse and a navy blue miniskirt. Even though it was only two inches above my knees, it rode up even more when I sat down, so Darry didn't like it much. Whenever he would make that comment, I had to hold myself from saying that he didn't mind it much when other girls showed skin. By the time that my hair was dried, I was beginning to feel the morning heat, and was glad that I chose not to wear jeans. I had my hair up in a bun, with loose strands hanging down around my face. I curled my eyelashes, put on light brown eye shadow and darker eyeliner, and a bit of deep red lipstick with lip gloss to keep the color longer. To finish the outfit, I slipped on a pair of navy blue heels, then stood in from the of mirror, my hands on my hips. I thought that I looked pretty good, if I could say so.

"Holy shit, who are you and what did you do to my best friend?" Two-Bit yelled as I came into the kitchen. I could feel my cheeks heating up as I smiled, looking away from him. If a stranger saw me, he would never think that I was a greaser. But like I said, I liked the way I looked.

"Shut up Mathews, and get off my chair," I strode over to him, and tried to push him off the chair, but he wouldn't budge and continued to grin, putting some more blueberry pancake in his mouth. "Darry, Keith doesn't like the way that I look and he won't get off my chair," I whined.

"Two-Bit, stop bothering Katherine," Darry said, coming into the dining room with a plate of pancakes for me. My best friend pouted and scooted off the chair, and I grinned, beginning to dig into my food. "Steve's leaving in twenty minutes, so hurry up little miss." He patted the top of my head and left the room.

"Hey, you know that I was kidding," Two-Bit said as I poured myself some chocolate milk. "You look-"

"Wow, Kat, you look real nice!" Pony and Johnny came into the room, and the latter's cheeks blushed a dark red as he realized how loudly he spoke.

"Thanks Johnnycakes," I smiled, but frowned as I saw a new bruise along his jaw. "Did you come during the night?"

"Yeah," he rubbed his bruise absently and cast his eyes to the floor. "They were drunk again..."

"I'm so sorry honey..." It killed me whenever I thought of his parents, drunk and never having steady jobs. He deserved so much better, a sweet boy like him. We, the gang and us debs (the gang's girlfriends, mostly Sandy, Evie and I in this case) tried to take the places of his parents, but we knew that we could never replace them.

"But hey, you two excited for high school?" Two-Bit asked as my brother and his best friend sat down at the table. "Swirlies, crowds of people way taller than you, food fi-"

"Shut up Keith," I said, punching him in the arm and turning around to look at my younger brother and his friend. "Don't worry about it guys. If anything happens, we'll protect you and beat up the guys that bothered you.

"Don't jinx anything," Darry told us as he came in again, tucking his shirt in his pants. "me and Soda are leaving, have a good first day of school and we'll see you in the evening." He rubbed Pony's ungreased hair, kissed the top of my head and nodded at Two-Bit and Johnny. "Oh, and be good." He said this to me and Two-Bit in particular, but my friend and I just exchanged grins. Sodapop came bouncing into the room, trying to put on his shoes, with Steve trailing behind him. Soda kissed my cheek and the top of Pony's head, and shook hands with our friends.

"Have fun in prison guys," he joked with a wink. Darry told him to shut up, and pushed him out of the house. The revving of our Ford a few seconds later told us that my twin was driving, and I grinned, putting some of the remaining pancake into my mouth.

"Hurry up, we gotta go pick up Evie and Sandy," Steve said, tapping his foot and stealing a piece of my food.

We finished up breakfast quickly, and I brushed my teeth while the boys looked at their reflections in the mirror behind me, making sure that every strand of hair was in place, before Steve practically shoved us out of the house and into his car. I hardly had the time to sit down when Steve slammed his foot of the gas, and Pony and I were jerked forward.

"More warning before you take off next time, damn," I said bitterly.

"You shoulda sat your ass down quicker," he shot back, smirking at me through the rear view mirror, but I just sat back and crossed my arms, glaring at him.

xXxXxX

Steve repeatedly honked the horn when we came in front of Evie's house, making Two-Bit move away from him in some hope that the honking would be less loud. Being the alcohol lover that he was, he was already drinking from a can of beer that he had stashed in his backpack.

"If you were my boyfriend, I'd much rather you actually came up to my door than just honk the horn," I told him as Evie came out from her house, probably waving to her parents before she closed the front door.

"Well I'm not your boyfriend and never will be, so it don't matter."

"Thank God," I muttered as Evie came into the car and kissed him, squeezing between him and Two-Bit.

xXxXxX

After picking up Sandy, we drove to Will Rogers high school, and Steve parked near the entrance of the student parking lot.

"Alright, schedule time," Steve said. This year we would all be juniors, besides Ponyboy and Johnny. As we huddled together, we let out small shouts of joy or groans of disappointment when we saw who we were with or which teacher we had. I was with nobody for Sociology, everyone for French, Sandy,Evie and Steve for world history, Two-Bit for math and with Steve for AP English.

"I guess I'll head off to class now, I'll see you guys during morning break. And have fun and stay safe," I told Pony and Johnny.

"We'll go in with you," Evie said, looking at Sandy, who nodded, brushing her blond hair out of her face.

"We're going to say hi to a couple of people and smoke one before going in," Two-Bit said, looking at the rest of the boys, who responded positively.

"Okay, see y'all later."

We went through the front doors of the school, shouting greetings and waving at friends, and ignoring rude remarks thrown to us by Socs.

"Welcome back to school!" Evie laughed, throwing her arms around our shoulders.

"Miss Curtis?" Someone tapped my shoulder, the part that wasn't covered by Evie's arm.

We all turned around, and I grinned when I saw Michael, dressed in a green polo and tan pants, a dark blue varsity jacket slung over his shoulder. Evie's grip around me tightened, but I poked her ribcage and she released me, giving me a look.

"Hi Michael," I smiled, "it's been a while."

"Andrew and David wanted to show me around town, so I haven't had the occasion to be by myself much. Tulsa's pretty different from back home."

"You lived in San Francisco right?" I asked as he nodded, "that's cool. I've always wanted to go there."

"Since when-" Evie started, but I kicked her.

Michael smiled, and looked at my two friends. "I'm Michael, I met Katherine a couple of weeks ago."

"Evie," she nodded, giving him a short nod.

"Sandy," my blonde friend smiled, holding out her hand and giggling as he took it and kissed it lightly.

"Nice to meet you two ladies," he turned back to me and handed me his schedule, pointing to the first block. "Can you show me where room 156 is?"

"Oh, you have Sociology too?" I asked, smiling. "Sure I'll show you!" I turned to the girls; Evie was giving me a 'please-explain-what-the-hell-is-happening' look, and I mouthed 'I'll explain later', while Sandy was just smiling. I hugged them. " See ya during break!"

"Thanks for showing me to the classroom," Michael said as we walked away, "it's really nice of you."

"Oh, it's no problem. How do you like Tulsa so far?"

"It's really different from San Francisco. I haven't seen a single hippie yet," he laughed. "They're really big with love and peace and stuff like that back there."

"Hippies?" I giggled. "Yeah, there aren't a lot here."

"They're nice enough. They don't have really terrible ideas either. They're just... You know... Screwed in the head, I guess." He laughed again and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, making me trip in surprise. "Oh, you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, I was just surprised. I wasn't expecting the arm."

"You want me to...?" he started to take off his arm, but I shook my head, giggling.

"It's fine!"

Oh gosh, this boy was making my knees weak and my heart beat fast. And he was a Soc at that.

xXxXxX

The first classes of the year were always the same. The teacher would go on about what we'd be doing during the year, and I would be writing down song lyrics on a piece of paper or doodling on the table. I met up with my friends during morning break for a smoke, and we spoke quickly about who was wearing what, who said what and who seemed to be going steady with who. Two-Bit already managed to get himself detention in math class when he threw a ball of paper ripped out of his textbook at Kathy to get her attention. That action did manage to get her attention, although probably not in the way that he intended.

"Hey, Katherine!" My eyes fell on Michael when I stepped into AP English, and he was standing on the desk to the far left of the third row, with two Soc girls named Cherry and Marcia. I made my way to him, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"Hi," I said when I got to him.

The girls gave me small smiles, and Michael pulled me into a sideways hug, which just made me blush even more. Marcia giggled, but I wasn't sure if it was because of my reaction of something else.

"I was just telling these lovely girls how San Francisco was," he smiled, "what class did you just have?"

"Math," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"You don't like it?"

"Honestly, not much. I much prefer reading and writing. That's why I'm here," I laughed.

"I can help you if you want. Oh, and I saved some seats for you," he pointed to the desks around him and smiled. "I didn't you where you would prefer sitting, so I made sure not to let anyone sit her."

"I actually like this class, so I'll take this seat," I said, pointing to the one in front of him, and he smiled, setting his stuff on the desk next to mine. I had just put down my notebook when two pairs of battered black Converse entered my vision. I looked up to see Jimmy Walsh, one of Tim Shepard's boys, and Steve. Jimmy was nice enough, and was such a poet, something that someone would never be able to tell just by looking at him. He had shaggy dark hair, slightly wide brown eyes that constantly shone with mischief, and a kind of short, but lean, build. He usually dressed in black or white shirts with jeans and the same pair of battered black Converse. Occasionally, he would dress in a nice black dress shirt that he would never tuck in, and with the sleeves rolled up. I always made a point to tell him how nice he looked whenever he dressed like that. Jimmy was extremely vicious in a fight; he used anything that he could find to defend himself, whether it be a lighter, bike chains, a switchblade or a piece of pipe. But he loved to read, and he's been writing since elementary school. He was really good with words, and Tim often called on him when he was making deals and truces with other gangs to make sure that they weren't getting a bad deal.

"Can I help you?" I asked, looking at Steve. Behind him, Michael was staring at us, wondering what was happening.

"Yeah kid," he answered, a slight snarl in his voice, "we always sit in the back, why are you sitting here surrounded by these idiots?"

"Maybe I want to sit here, got a problem?"

"Yeah, maybe I-"

"Alright kids, settle down, settle down," Mr. Syme came into the classroom, and Steve gave me a final glare before storming off to the back of the classroom. Jimmy gave me a questioning look before leaving, but I waved him off.

"Who were they?" Michael asked.

I shook my head. "I'll explain later."

"Alright, so to start off I'm going to do roll call and then I'll go over the program a bit before I hand out the first book that we're going to study this year." Mr. Syme took a piece of paper out of a folder and began to read off the list. Said student would raise his hand when his name was called, and occasionally Mr. Syme would make a comment to him.

"Katherine Curtis?"

"Here sir," I said, raising my hand.

"It's nice to see you again this year Miss Curtis."

Mr. Syme was my honors English teacher last year.

"It's always a pleasure to be in your class," I smiled.

"I had your younger brother this morning, I can sense the same love for reading and writing in him as I can sense in you." I smiled, feeling proud of Ponyboy. "How's Darrel doing?"

"He's working hard, just like usual."

He nodded, giving me a small smile. "Well Miss Curtis, I look forward to reading your essays and compositions."

"And I look forward to getting them back sir," I laughed.

"Kiss ass," someone muttered as the teacher called out another name. The insult was followed by quiet snickers, and I turned around to see Randy and Bob, two Socs who enjoyed picking on anybody smaller than them.

I rolled my eyes, turning back around to face the front of the class, when a ball of paper landed on my desk. I looked behind me again and saw Steve mouthing "open it".

**why?  
**

_why what? _ I scribbled, throwing the paper back at him.

**why are you sitting with socs?**

I blushed, and looked at Michael, who was already looking at me. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, then focused my attention back to the notepaper.

_that doesn't concern you._**  
**

**you're my best friend's sister, and we don't need ya making us or yourself a target.**

I ripped up the paper and got out another one, addressed to Jimmy.

_Tell Steve to stop annoying me. Love, Kat  
_

I threw the paper to Jimmy, who caught it and winked at me.

"Love confession?" he mouthed, and I mouthed back "in your dreams". I looked at him until he finished reading, and he gave me a thumbs up and scribbled something back, throwing it back to me and grinning.

He had circled the word love, and underneath he wrote _**it is a love confession, you were just insultin' Steve in it :)  
**_

I shook my head and turned my attention back to Mr. Syme, who had finished roll call and was beginning to talk about the program for the year.

xXxXxX

The bell rang, and I began to pack my stuff up, my head spinning slightly. I can't believe that I let Darry talk me into taking AP English.

"You going to explain who those guys were?" Michael asked, offering his hand to me as I stood up.

"They're… Um…"

"Katherine, if you aren't out in five minutes, I'm leaving without you," Steve said, passing by without a glance.

"So, we're going out this weekend?" Jimmy asked, walking by and winking.

"Like I said, in your dreams Walsh," I laughed, "go on, I'll see you in a few."

"I'm actually going to go make sure that Curly and Angela haven't gotten into trouble yet, then go hang out with the boys. Wear a nice dress this weekend. I'll be sure not to let Tim know about our little date," he smirked, pinching my butt and walking away.

"Jimmy!" I laughed, trying to hit him but missing.

"So are you finally going to explain who they are?" Michael asked with a hint of impatience.

I sighed. "Come on out with me."

We said bye to Mr. Syme and went to the side of the hallway, out of the way of the other students. I looked at Michael, whose arms were crossed, down to my feet, to the bright posters on the wall, then back at Michael.

"I don't know if you've figured it out, but I'm a greaser. I don't have much money and most people automatically assume that we're hoods and get jailed every other weekend," I said to his slightly confused look. "Those two boys… They're my friends. Well, Jimmy is. He's the one with the brown hair. Steve is my twin brother's best friend. I don't have the cleanest friends or reputation around, but I do have a heart, and that makes me me. If the fact that I'm poor bothers you, then we can just forget ever talking and get on with our lives."

I began to walk away, not bothering to wait for his response. Fuck, why did I even take the time for him in the first place?

"Katherine!" I turned around and saw Michael running towards me. I crossed my arms, looking up at him with a slight glare. "Don't look at me like that!"

"I can look at you whichever way I want."

"If I told you that I don't care about the fact that you have less money than me or don't have the cleanest reputation around, would you look at me differently?"

"Is this a joke?"

"I wouldn't have left that tip and note for you for no reason, you know," he answered, smiling a bit.

I uncrossed my arms, feeling the corners of my lips turning up. "You didn't have to give me that much."

"I wanted to. You seem like a sweet girl."

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Hey, you want to… You want to go out for a bite together?"

"Oh, I can't… I'm sorry… I need to go check on my little brother and I already have plans."

"Another time then?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure," I grinned, hitching my book bag higher on my shoulder, "I'll catch you later."

I ran to the student parking lot, and saw that everyone besides Two-Bit were standing outside Steve's car.

"Took you long enough," Steve said, rolling his eyes and throwing his cigarette to the ground, "what did you do? Have a quickie with mister Soc?"

"Steve!" Evie gasped, "that was so rude!"

"I was kidding babe, calm down!" he said, although his tone of voice showed that he really wasn't kidding.

"Still," she muttered, giving me an apologetic look as I shook my head, silently telling her that it was okay.

xXxXxX

We drove to a small grocery store that was the school's greaser hangout. The DX was too far away to stop by for lunch, so we spent the little money that we had at the grocery store. We caught up with some other friends there, although I mostly spoke to Ponyboy and Johnny, asking them what they thought of high school so far. Turns out that some people were giving my younger brother trouble because of his name, but the teachers told the troublemakers off. He seemed to like Mr. Syme a lot, and as I told him what the teacher said about him, Pony turned beet red, but he looked really happy. On the other hand, Johnny said that most of his classes were pretty chaotic. Most classes at our school that weren't at an advanced level had teachers that didn't really care about the futures of their students.

I bought myself a sandwich, a coke and a pack of cigarettes that I shared with Pony. When we got back to school I realized that we both really needed to cut down on smoking: in a bit more than half an hour we had smoked nearly half the pack.

The first bell had already rung when we arrived, and Steve and I came into class with only seconds to spare. The only available seats were in the back, and I groaned inwardly when I realized that he would be my partner for the rest of the year. I set my stuff down and sat on the stool as the teacher came in.

"Hello class, I'm Miss Brown and I'm going to be your biology teacher for this quarter-"

"Boring," Steve muttered, dragging out the i. He slouched down in his stool and crossed his arms. I silently agreed, putting my head in my arms.

"Mr. Winston?" Miss Brown called out. "Dallas Winston?"

I looked at Steve, who had a look of surprise and glee mixed into one.

"Dallas?" he whispered, "he's still enrolled in school?"

"I don't remember him ever dropping out… But he has been to jail and the reformatory more than actual school this past year and a half."

"Is Mr. Winston here?" Miss Brown was looking around the room with an expression of slight worry, like Dally would randomly pop out from under a table.

"He's in jail ma'am," Steve shouted so the teacher could hear him, and he almost fell over laughing as an look of pure horror appeared on her face.

"In… Jail?"

"For mugging someone and threatening him with a dangerous weapon," I told her, and as she heard the lie, the blood drained from her I knew that she wouldn't bother Steve or I, afraid that we would call Dally up to attack her.

"Well, that's one teacher that won't be on our backs," Steve said, triumph noticeable in his voice.

"Thank God," I muttered, putting my head back in my arms. "Wake me up when the bell rings, will ya?"

xXxXxX

I didn't honestly expect to fall asleep, but when Steve shook me awake, I had to bite back a yawn.

"You made a pretty good canvas," he told me, capping a pen and putting it in his pencil case.

"I… What?"

He pointed to my arm with a rare smile, and I saw that he had drawn a black revolver with the words _Greaser Girl_ in red ink. Steve was no Ponyboy when it came to drawing, but he wasn't that bad. At least this time he didn't draw a pin up model. It took me almost half an hour of scrubbing to fully remove the drawing.

"Um, thank you I guess…"

"I was bored," he said, answering an unasked question.

"Figures." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I got my book bag.

xXxXxX

"Nice drawing," Two-Bit said, pointing to my arm as we sat down in the back of French class, "you going to get it as a tattoo?"

I ignored his question. "Steve decided to use me as a canvas in bio when I fell asleep."

"Not too shabby Randle, not too shabby," Two-Bit told Steve, leaning back into his chair.

"What, you calling me a bad drawer?" Steve asked, turning around in his seat with a glare.

"No, but you ain't no Ponyboy."

"Calmez-vous, calmez-vous," the French instructor, Mademoiselle Ferié said as she came into the classroom. "Je suis contente de vous revoir encore cette année, j'ai préparée pleins d'activités pour ce trimestre!"

"Can she please speak in English?" Steve muttered, and Evie and I had to cover up our giggles.

French class was rather entertaining, though not on the educational level. If someone asked me what we learned in that class, I wouldn't be able to tell him. It was cute watching Two-Bit trying to get Kathy's attention, and I told myself that I would have to talk to them separately about the other. Steve had been talking about getting a tattoo, and was drawing the designs, asking Evie every few minutes what she thought. When she said that she didn't like one of them, he would crumple up the paper and throw it across the room. In the end, she'd purposely say that she didn't like his drawings just to see his reaction. Sandy and I played several games of hangman, filling up two pieces of paper with silly phrases and commercial jingles.

xXxXxX

"The first day of hell is finally over!" Two-Bit shouted, pumping his fist in the air as we made our way out of the school.

"Some people still have something called work, unlike others who are too lazy to get themselves a job," Steve said, pushing him.

"Why get a job when I can have fun?" Two-Bit asked in a shocked voice.

"Money," I answered with a grin, knowing that he wasn't expecting an answer. "Money is nice. You can buy things with money."

"I'm a world class shoplifter, I don't need no money," he laughed with a wink.

"You can go on shoplifting, but I need to get to the DX," Steve said, walking a bit faster, "where's Kathy?"

"She doesn't work Mondays," I told him, noticing that Two-Bit whipped his head toward us when Steve mentioned her name.

"Can Johnny and I get a ride to the DX?" Pony asked.

"Get in the car," Steve threw open the front door and stepped in. "Mathews, you coming?"

"Yeah, yeah," Two-Bit threw his cigarette on the ground and came into the car after me.

"Hey, I'll need to get out when Steve drops me off," I protested as I got squished between him and Pony.

"Sit on my lap then," he grinned, patting it.

"Are you going to the DX or the Ribbon?" Steve asked, looking at Two-Bit through the rear view mirror.

"He's coming with me," I answered, moving into his lap.

"Whatever she says," he laughed, wrapping his arms around my waist.

xXxXxX

"I need to talk to you," I said, leaning on the counter as he sipped a beer.

"Whatever about?"

"Kathy."

He choked on his drink, hitting his chest, and I waited, smiling softly. Whenever Two-Bit had a reaction like this about a girl, it was either really good or really bad. In this case, it was good.

"What about her?"

"You like her babe," I said, suppressing a grin. "All those other girls that you talk to, you don't look at them the same way that you look at Kathy." I paused, letting the information sink in. He had his poker face, and I poked his cheek, feeling the corners of my mouth turn upward. "You love her."

"I-"

"Yes you do, don't deny it," I interrupted, getting up. "Now I've got to go see those lovely people in the corner booth, I'll be right back." I left him dumbstruck, and tried not to laugh at his expression. "Close your mouth babe!" I called over my shoulder.

"Okay, maybe I really like her," he said as I passed by with an armful of dirty dishes.

"Love," I muttered, kicking open the kitchen door.

"What?"

I was already in the kitchen when he said that, so I ignored him and handed the dishes to the busboy, who roughly took them from me. He was a sixteen year old boy who lived a few blocked away from me. He owned a really vicious pit bull, and there were rumors going around that he sometimes fed stray cats to it. The only reason that he worked at the Dingo was because his parents threatened to send him to his grandparents who lived in the middle of Nebraska.

"What did you say?" Two-Bit's beer was lying abandoned at the edge of the counter, and there wasn't the usual sparkle of laughter in his gray eyes.

"I didn't say anything that wasn't true," I said, slightly avoiding the question. "Ya know, she really likes you."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"For one, show that you like her in a way that doesn't involve throwing things at her," I suggested. "Don't be too show-offy. Is offy even a word?" I wondered, then shrugged it off. "Open doors for her and offer to carry her books. I'm not saying that you have to completely change yourself," I told him as he opened his mouth, "I'm just saying that maybe you can walk her to class and carry her books to begin with."

"But that's such a Socy thing," he complained, but I could tell that he was seriously thinking about what I was saying.

"Steve," I told him, leaning closer and counting off my fingers. "Soda, Jimmy, Tim Shepard. They have all done that at some point."

He started at the last name and stared at me with wide eyes, but a grin was slowly making its way to his face.

"Shepard?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. "As in the big, bad Timothy Shepard?"

"Don't mention it to him if you don't want to get hurt," I said, starting to regret using his name as an example and hoping that Two-Bit would never ask him about it.

"Who's books did he carry anyway?"

"Mine."

I walked back to the booth before my friend could say anything more, pocketing the check and the tip, and taking the rest of the dishes. Another waitress appeared by my side and began to wipe the table clean.

"Forget I ever told you about that," I said, coming out of the kitchen.

"Fuck no, tell me!"

"It was when he was still in school."

Well, Tim was still enrolled at Will Rogers, but he was more often marked absent than not. On the days that he bothered showing up, he didn't even follow his schedule, he just went into the classes that he had friends in.

"That explains a lot," Two-Bit said sarcastically, taking a sip of his bee.

_**Why did I take European History? **__I wondered, __**Why?  
**_

_I was walking back to class after the morning smoke break, and none of my friends nor Soda were in the class with me, so it wasn't like I could share books with anyone. My locker and the classroom were on opposite sides of the school, so I couldn't stop by my locker to drop the books off. The first two periods that I had both required huge books, and for history, I had not one, but two books that were several hundred pages long. I was carrying them in my arms because I had no more space in my book bag. It was difficult carrying them and a book bag that weighed a few pounds, but I managed as I weaved in and out of the crowds of students.  
_

_"Goddammit, can you people be any fuckin' slower?" a familiar voice rose among the buzzing of students, and I turned around, seeing a tall, lean figure with dark, greased back hair pushing his way through the crowd. "Hey, K.C!"  
_

_I waited for him, letting people push pass me, until someone bumped into me and made me drop my books on the floor.  
_

_"Watch it asshole!" Tim shoved the person away from me and bent down, picking up my book bag and books. "European history?" he asked, looking at the textbooks. "Can I ask why the hell you're taking this?"  
_

_"It's interesting!" I defended, reaching out for the books, but he held them out of my reach. "Tim, give those back, I need to get to class!"  
_

_"I'll walk ya, I don't like Spanish anyway."  
_

_"You don't-"  
_

_"Shut up," he said, tucking the books under his arms, "now where's your class?"  
_

"So that was the only time that he's carried your books or walked you to class?" Two-Bit asked.

"Well there were other times… And he just kind of stopped coming to school as much…" I trailed off, then looked back at him. "Please don't mention it to him."

"You know what babe?" my friend said, looking at me over his beer. "I think that mister Shepard might like you more than he's willing to admit."

My heart skipped a beat when he said those words, but I recovered quickly, not letting my emotions show. "Yeah, right. And Kennedy is going to come back from the dead."

"The times when he's at school, he carries your books and walks you to class when he sees you. He's been hanging around you for six years, which obviously means that he isn't sick of you. I'm assuming that you've spent a lot of your evenings with him, and I think that we both know that Shepard usually doesn't see a girl more than a few times. And," he paused for a second, motioning for me to turn around, but I slapped his hand. "Fine. Well, you know… You aren't exactly ugly."

"Yeah," I pretended to agree, "I'm hideous."

"You Curtises are all the same!" he groaned. "Soda and Pony have the tuffest hair in town, Darry is like fuckin' Superman and you could knock out all the Soc girls in a beauty pageant! And yet, none of you seem to realize how good lookin' y'all are!"

"Oh, I wouldn't-"

"Shut up. Yes you would. You know, you and Shepard _could_ work out…"

"Keep your fantasies to yourself," I muttered, idly wiping the counter.

Me and Tim Shepard… I've thought about that a few times, but I highly doubted that it would ever work out. And Darry… Good heavens, Darry would kill me. I remember one time when Mama and Daddy were still alive, he was having a conversation with them after I came home from a date with Dally. We had spent the evening with some of his friends, including Tim. At the time, Darry was in one of his phases during which he had to show how mature and intelligent he was (he didn't have to, everyone already knew that he was). He made a remark about me, and I still remember how he phrased it. _"We're going to end up with an ex convict as an in-law if Katherine keeps dating the guys she's seeing today." _That was the closest that I've ever heard him insult Dally.

"Hi Katherine!" a voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I turned to the source of the voice. Michael was two seats away from Two-Bit and Michael gave me a toothy smile. "You looked pretty deep in thought."

"Yeah, I was just thinking about something he said," I smiled, giving Two-Bit a slap on the head and a menu to Michael. "Two-Bit, this is Michael Andrews. Michael, this is one of my best friends, Keith Mathews."

"Call me Two-Bit," he said, looking Michael up and down. "How'd you come to know Kat?"

"Met her here two weeks ago and we're in a few classes. How'd you get your name?"

"How do you think?" I asked before Two-Bit could answer. "He always has to get his two-bits worth in any conversation."

"Nice," Michael laughed, "humor is much needed in conversations, people are way too serious."

I liked the way that his eyes sparkled when he laughed. They were all pretty and bright, not cold and hard, like most of the Socs or hoods. _No_, I thought as I went to get someone's order, _Darry doesn't have to worry about me getting married to a convict.  
_

xXxXxX

"Thank fuck I'm over for the day," I muttered, shoving my apron into my book bag.

"I thought work was good," Two-Bit said, laughing and throwing an arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah, but when a kid throws a temper tantrum because his soda had ice in it," I started, throwing the restaurant doors open, "all you want to do is go home." I stopped walking when I came to the sidewalk, looking back at Two-Bit. "Actually, how are we getting home?"

"Hitchhike."

He said this with such a straight face and so naturally that I didn't have the heart to laugh at his idea. So instead, I said the first thing that came to me.

"You can't be fuckin' serious."

"Why not?" he asked. "Look at all these people driving by. Stop any one of them, and we can have a ride home. Look, there's Jennings across the street!"

"Aw, no, he's with Douglas," I groaned, "the kid hates me."

"He does no-"

"Well, he thinks that he's all high and mighty just because he has good grades. Can't you hot wire us a car?"

"I thought that you didn't like it when I did that," he said, looping his arm through mine.

There was the loud roar of an engine, and I looked toward the source of the noise. A tough looking cat was getting off a motorcycle, and he tucked his helmet under his arm, walking over to the Dingo. The motorcycle was a bright red, and I didn't think about the fact that the owner could easily beat us up bad if he saw us getting on it. The only thought that I had was that I wanted to ride it.

"Please?" I asked, looking up at Two-Bit, but he was eying the motorcycle with interest. The keys were still in the ignition, and he took a step towards the cycle. "Yes!"

I ran toward the vehicle and hitched up my skirt, putting my legs on either side of the motorcycle. My friend sat down in front of me, turning the keys. As the engine roared to life, my heart began to beat faster and I wrapped my arms around Two-Bit's waist.

"Hold on tight," Two-Bit said, looking back at me, "I've only ridden these a few times, so it might be a bit fast."

xXxXxX

Two-Bit came to a stop in front of my house, and I tried to rearrange my hair as I got off. "Thanks Mathews," I said, kissing him on the cheek.

"My pleasure sweetheart," he grinned, "Now I'm just going to drop this off at Fueller's house then walk over to mine, anticipating his reaction when he finds this," he added with a laugh.

"You aren't staying over for dinner?"

"I promised Ma that I'd watch over Mel tonight," he told me, putting his chest out and his hands on his hips, proud that his mother trusted him.

"Alright," I giggled, "I'll see you tomorrow."

I watched him go off until he turned the corner, then opened the front gate, walking up to the front porch where Ponyboy and Johnny were smoking and reading.

"Did he-" Pony started as I nodded.

"We took it from some guy at the Dingo," I said, and laughed at my younger brother's expression. "Yes Pony, it was also partly my idea."

"That was one tuff motorcycle," Johnny said quietly, looking off at the corner where Two-Bit had disappeared.

"It was," I agreed, "who's making dinner?"

"Darry," my brother answered, "so you and Soda are on dishwashing duty."

"Lovely."

xXxXxX

Dinner was baked chicken with mashed potatoes, one of my favorite meals. Darry was giving Ponyboy and me the usual first day of school questioning, with Steve and Johnny cutting in occasionally. Steve and Soda were having a foot fight under the table, and I sometimes got hit, so I pulled my legs up, crossing them.

"So…" Steve said after a couple of minutes of silence, "did you tell your brothers about your new friend?"

"Steve!" I could feel my face getting red, and tried to slap him but Darry grabbed my wrist before I could.

"Katherine?"

"Is this the same guy from the Dingo?" Soda wondered, winking at me.

"It's a guy?"

"Thanks asshole," I muttered, kicking Steve under the table.

"Katherine, explain," Darry said in his no nonsense voice, setting down his knife and fork.

"This is only the second time that I've met him," I defended, "I hardly know him!"

"How's he like?"

"Rich, strong and has all the girls drooling over him," Steve answered before I could open my mouth.

"He's a Soc?" Ponyboy basically yelled, pushing his chair back and standing up. We looked at him, and he sat back down when he realized what he did, blushing a deep red.

"A Soc?" Soda asked, looking at me curiously, "that's a lot different than the usual guys you go after."

I swear that my face was flaming by that time, and I almost got up and left the table. "Can we please not talk about this?"

"You and I are going to have a long talk if I hear that this gets any more serious," Darry told me, and something told me that he wasn't joking.

xXxXxX

Soda teased me mercilessly as we washed the dished, but he stopped when I threatened to knock him over the head with one of the plates, and then he told me that I could choose the TV shows for the evening as a way to make up. Whenever Two-Bit wasn't at our house, we were always fighting about what to watch.

"Hey Darry, can we go out dancing this weekend?" Soda asked during a commercial break, "Pony and Kat have a three day weekend, don't they? And Katherine isn't grounded anymore."

"I suppose. Where would you go?" Darry asked without looking up from his paper.

"We," Soda said, pushing our older brother's paper out of the way, "as in the girls and the gang, minus Dallas."

"I-"

"Haven't had a night out in months," Soda and I finished for him, and we exchanged a grin.

"You deserve it," I told him, "you work so hard."

"Maybe you can meet a girl!"

"You dance so well Darry!"

"It's just one night!"

"_Pleeeeaaaase_?" Soda and I begged, getting down on our knees.

"Fine!" Darry waved us away, and Soda and I high fived each other, "I'll go out with you guys, just stop bugging me."


	6. Chapter 6

**NEW CHAPTER. Sorry about the wait! I finished this a couple of days ago but I've been out of my house so much that I didn't have time to edit it until today. All my exams are finished, now I just need to wait for the results! I don't own the songs in this chapter (_Jailhouse Rock_ by Elvis,_ Twist and Shout_ by The Beatles and _That's Where __It's At,_ by Sam Cooke). Thank you very much for the reviews (: I apologize for too much dialogue in this; I'm trying to make an effort to not put so much. I appreciate any comments that you have, whether it be about my writing style, the plot, or just anything in general (:****************  
I do not own _The Outsiders._**

* * *

The first week of school passed by quickly enough. I sat next to Michael in English, much to Steve and Jimmy's dismay, and Sociology. Evie flipped out when I told her about Michael and who he was, while Sandy just teased me about him, telling me that maybe our relationship would hitch up a few notches as school went on. I didn't hang out with Michael much outside of class though: I wanted to keep an eye on Ponyboy and Johnny for the first couple of weeks of school, and I had work on Tuesday and Wednesday. But I wasn't thinking about him as danced around my room with Evie and Sandy on Friday night and got ready to go out dancing. We had my radio on at full blast, and it was playing one of those British bands. I had no idea who they were, but they weren't the Beatles (one of the boys would have came in and thrown the radio out of the room) and they sounded pretty good, so I didn't bother changing to a different station.

Half of my closet, along with about ten of fifteen of Evie and Sandy's dresses, was lying on my bed and floor as we searched for outfits. We were about the same size, besides the facts that I had slightly larger breasts than them and Evie had wider hips. Anyway, we could make small alterations to the clothes if needed.

Sandy had already chosen her dress. It was Soda's favorite, and Evie and I begged her to tell us where she got it, but she just shook her head, refusing to tell us. It was light pink, slightly off the shoulders with a fitted drop waist and a gathered skirt that came down to her knees. She paired up the dress with a nice pair of tan heels, and we were all going to do our hair in pompadours, the preferred greaser girl hairstyle for going out.

Evie was still deciding between a lime green dress and a salmon colored one. I preferred the green one: there was a large bow on the front at the waist, and below that the dress was pleated chiffon that came a bit above her knees.

"Oh, go with the green one!" Sandy told her, setting down the hairbrush on the vanity and turning around to look at our friend. "It'll really bring out your eyes!"

Evie was blessed with black hair and a pair of bright green eyes. I was always secretly jealous of her for that, because I thought that dark hair and colored eyes looked really pretty.

"Isn't it a bit short?" she asked uncertainly, holding it up.

"Brighten up, it's just for one evening!" I said, "you have amazing legs anyway. All the guys will be jealous of Steve for having such a gorgeous girl."

"I'm not that-"

"Your eyes," Sandy and I said at the same time.

"They're really your defining feature."

"And I love your curls."

"That I'll have to tame to make the hairstyle work out," she muttered, throwing the salmon dress on the bed. "Where's your flat iron?"

"Bathroom," I answered, looking at the mountain of dresses and pants in my room.

"Now for you miss Curtis!" Sandy squealed as Evie left the room.

"I don't know what to wear," I whined, falling back on my bed.

"Get up," she said, taking me by the hand. "Give me five minutes, and I'll guarantee that I'll find you a dress. Now go to the window so that you can't see what I'm doing."

I rolled my eyes but smiled, pushing open my window and sitting on the ledge. "Pass me my cigarettes, will you?"

She took one for herself first and lit it, then tossed me the pack and my lighter.

"Give me one!" Evie demanded, coming into the room, the flat iron in her hand.

"There is no way that I'm going to let you smoke and straighten your hair at the same time," I laughed, turning to face her, but Sandy threw a dress at me.

"Give her the cigarette and look out the window!"

"Gosh, someone's bossy," I said, lobbing the pack behind me.

xXxXxX

"Can I turn around now?" I asked when I finished my cigarette, tossing the butt out the window. My friends had been whispering since Sandy told me to pass Evie a smoke, and I heard them rummaging through my stuff and wondered what they could be doing.

"You're an impatient one," Sandy said, and I could imagine her rolling her eyes. "But yes you can."

I threw my legs over the edge and the first thing that I noticed was that my room was, for the most part, cleared of dresses. Evie and Sandy were facing me, smiling and holding a midnight blue dress. My breath caught in my throat and I had to force myself to breath. Like theirs, it was short sleeved, but only the top was figure hugging and it flowed out at the waist, coming to a few inches above my knees. The fabric shimmered slightly under the dull light. It was Mama who made the dress for me, and the first and only time that I wore it was at the last New Year's party that my family had spent as a whole, just a week and a few days before my parents' tragic death. After the funeral, I buried the dress at the bottom of my closet, not wanting to see it for a while. And here were my two friends, holding it out in front of me.

"It looked really nice on you last New Year's," Sandy said softly.

"I'm sure that your mother wouldn't want you to not wear it again," Evie continued, using the same voice as Sandy. "She's the one who made it for you, right?"

I couldn't speak, so I just nodded, feeling the tears beginning to form in my eyes.

"Aw no, sweetie don't cry," Sandy said, giving the dress to Evie and walking over to hug me.

"No," I told her, holding out my hands. "Just give me a second."

I turned around, taking a deep breath. Evie was right: Mama wouldn't want me to just bury the dress forever or until I find it again but am too old to wear it.

I wiped my eyes, looking back at them. "I can't have a pompadour with that dress."

"Of course you can," Evie said, exchanging a smile with Sandy that seemed to say that they were glad that I didn't tell them to put the dress away. But the latter frowned slightly, looking at my hair.

"Kat's right, the dress is too nice. If we could just switch your hair with hers..."

"We don't have the time to curl it," I said, sitting down on the bed and taking the dress from my friends, holding it tight to me.

"I read an article in_ Seventeen_ saying that we can use a flat iron to curl hair," Evie said, looking at the item on my vanity. "I'm sure that if I explain how to do it to Sandy she can curl your hair in a short time."

"Your hair is going to look amazing after this," Sandy told me, sitting me down on the chair in front of my mirror, "not that is isn't already," she added, winking at me and beginning to brush my hair.

xXxXxX

"Damn you ladies are gorgeous!" Two-Bit exclaimed when we came in the living room, raising his beer can to us with a grin.

We looked at each other and blushed, holding each other tight around the waist. Sandy had decided to go without any eye makeup, just a bit of blush and lipstick, while Evie applied dark green eyeliner and no blush, as her cheeks were seemingly always a light pink. I went the same way as Evie, except with dark blue eyeliner and deep red lipstick. Sandy had resolved not to go with the pompadour, choosing instead to tie her hair up, and she and Evie used a ridiculous amount of hairspray to keep their styles in place, so I had to leave my window open to I could air out the room. I kept my hair down. As luck had it, we had heels that matched our dresses, and I'm sure that we all felt proud of our appearances.

"Is that...?" My brothers came out of the kitchen, followed by Steve and Johnny. Darry and Soda both had dress shirts with jeans, Steve had a white shirt with a jean jacket, and Johnny the same but with a black shirt, and Ponyboy had a mix of both groups: a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a white shirt underneath. My brothers, Soda especially, looked at my dress with slightly wide eyes, surprised that I had decided to wear it after all these months.

"The one Mama made you?" Soda asked quietly, coming closer.

"The same one," I answered, smiling softly and twirling around with my arms out, "it's real pretty, isn't it?"

"Beautiful," it was Darry who said this, and I giggled as he took me by the hips and twirled me around a bit before setting me on his shoulder. "Is everyone ready?"

There was a chorus of yeses, and Darry turned to Two-Bit, "your car won't blow up on the ride to the 20 Grand?"

"Stevie boy looked at it when the ladies were getting ready," he grinned, "I kind of have to slam hard on the breaks if I want them to work, but I don't think it'll blow up," he paused for a second, appearing to think, "at least I don't think it should."

We, well everyone but me, since I was still on Darry's shoulders, stopped walking and looked at our Mickey Mouse loving friend, and gave him odd looks. Steve was the first to recover and waved his hand in the air. "He's kidding guys, his car won't blow up."

xXxXxX

We circled the block that the night club that also doubled as an malt shop was on for about fifteen minutes before Darry and Two-Bit found parking spots that weren't too far away from each other. We were all excited; even Darry was laughing and joking with us. I sometimes forgot that he wasn't much older than us, because he was always working and so serious. It was the first time in a really long time that we were all going out for fun, and the only person that was missing was Dallas. He hated most social situations though, especially ones that involved dancing, so it wasn't like we would terribly miss him. Still, he was part of the gang, and it would probably be a while before we would be able to convince Darry to come out with us again.

"I LOVE THIS SONG!" Two-Bit shouted when we came into the brightly lit club. I paused for a second, then realized that it was _Jailhouse Rock_ by Elvis and laughed.

"Damn, that kid knows the whole choreography," Soda said, grinning as Two-Bit danced and pretended to sing, "care to dance baby? Obviously we can pretend not to know Two-Bit."

"Of course!" Sandy giggled, taking my brother's outstretched hand.

Steve and Evie joined the couple on the dance floor, and I looked up at my two brothers and Johnny. "Milk shakes anyone? I'll pay."

"It's okay, I can pay," Darry said, smiling at me.

"But-"

"Like you said, it's only for one night. We can afford to spend a little on milkshakes and such." I haven't seen him smile like that in such a long time that I just decided to drop the subject. Tonight is going to be a fun night.

We walked to the upper portion of the club where they served the food and sat by the railing so we could look down at our friends.

"You're a lucky girl," the waitress said, winking at me after we told her what we wanted, "three handsome guys to yourself. I bet several girls down there would be jealous if they saw you. Not to mention that you're pretty and your dress is nice."

Johnny and Pony both blushed, and the latter flipped up his shirt collar to hide his red cheeks. I could feel myself blushing too, and whispered a thank you, while Darry just laughed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"Until I find myself a girl, my sister is the only one that I need," Darry said proudly, and I beamed with pride at his words.

"And I'm guessing this handsome man is your brother?" she asked, smiling at Pony, who just blushed a darker red.

"They both are." At this Johnny gave one of the biggest grins that I've ever seen him give. We constantly told him that he was just like our brother, but hearing those words from Darry must have felt amazing. However, the waitress looked a bit confused, as Johnny and us Curtis kids looked drastically different, and Darry hastily told her that Johnny was Pony's best friend, and was just like family to us.

"That's really nice of you," she smiled, "I'll be right back with your shakes."

Darry stared after her and I exchanged grins with the two other boys. The waitress was pretty enough, with clear, shinning blue eyes and wavy light blond hair.

"Go on Darry," I said, nudging him, "ask her for her number."

"I... What? I don't have the time for a girlfriend."

"I didn't say that you have to ask her to be your girlfriend. Go on one date, see how it goes. If you end up not liking her, no problem! It's not like she can stalk you."

"Here are your milkshakes," she came back and handed our drinks to us, "let me know if you need anything," she rested her hand on Darry's arm for a second and smiled at him, then left.

"Do you think she's pretty?" I asked my older brother, who proceeded to choke on his drink.

"Yeah," Johnny and Pony replied at the same time, grinning.

"Hot _damn_," Two-Bit appeared by my side and pulled up a chair next to me, "that waitress is fuckin' hot."

"Thank you for your comment Two-Bit," Darry said dryly, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, did you get chocolate?" my friend asked, picking up my drink and completely missing the sarcasm in my brother's voice.

"Strawberry Chocolate my friend," I answered, taking the cup from him.

xXxXxX

"Hey, isn't that the Soc from English?" Steve wondered, flicking a straw wrapper at me. I looked down at the door, and saw Michael come in with a group of the socially elite.

"The same guy that you was talking about the other day?" Darry asked, going into protective older brother mode. "Where is he?"

"You and your fuckin' fat mouth," I muttered, slouching down in my seat and swatting Two-Bit's hand away.

"He's the one with the blond hair, good build," a deep, smooth voice said, "the one wearing the red shirt."

"Jimmy!" I turned around in surprise and saw my friend, dressed in a black dress shirt and tight, ripped black jeans, with his lips turned into a half smile, "when did you get here?"

"Little while ago, the gang's over there," he pointed behind him and I saw the Shepard gang and some of their girls or sisters.

"Hey Two-Bit, Kathy's over there," Soda grinned, punching our friend in the arm, "you should go say hi."

"I-"

"Is that Scott next to her?" I asked, looking behind Jimmy and over to Kathy's older brother.

"Oh, _shit_," Two-Bit slunk down in his chair, trying to hide. If there was one hood Two-Bit was afraid of, it was Scott. He was tough, rough, and had one of the biggest reputations around in his neighborhood. He was sometimes known to use a heater in fights, and I've never seen him smile in the time that I've known him. But those weren't the reasons why Two-Bit was afraid of Scott. The reason was simple: he was Kathy's older brother.

"And... TIM!" I stood up after I yelled out his name, almost knocking my chair down, but I immediately put my hands over my mouth, sitting quickly down in my chair, my cheeks burning. Everyone was looking at me, and Darry's eyes were narrowed. He still hasn't quite gotten over the fact that I sneaked around with Tim, and I highly doubted that he would get over it soon.

"You called?" Tim appeared by my shoulder, giving me his classic smirk after nodding to the table.

"It was Two-Bit," I covered up, trying not to stumble over my words and ignoring my friend's protests while the others laughed. "He... He wanted to know if you could go ask Kathy if she'd want to dance with him."

"I did no-" But Soda smacked his head, trying not to laugh.

"Grow a pair and ask the girl, it isn't going to kill you."

"Her brother is going to kill me!"

"Apologize and tell her that you're over flirting with other girls, God," Steve told him, throwing a straw wrapper at him.

Tim bent down and whispered something into Two-Bit's ear, who proceeded to look at him with wide eyes. "She did not fuckin' say that."

"Yeah man, go talk to her."

Two-Bit looked over at Kathy with slightly squinted eyes. Scott had his arm wrapped around her, and he was talking to Curly and some of the other boys. "Scott ain't gonna kill me?"

"Fuckin' go Mathews."

Two-Bit polished the rest of his milkshake and wiped his mouth, then got up and pulled up his collar. "Here goes nothin'," he muttered before walking to his ex.

"What bullshit did you feed him?" I asked Tim as he sat down next to me, wrapping his arm around me.

"Didn't feed him no bull," he told me, and glanced at Darry, who was looking at us intently. "I remember the talk Darrel, no need to remind me," he squeezed my shoulders, giving me a crooked smile, "how ya been Kit-Kat?"

"Alright I guess," I smiled, "nice to see that you're out."

"Did ya see Dallas?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, he told me to say hi to you guys and that you guys better goddamn visit him."

"In those terms?" Sandy asked.

"It's Winston," Tim shrugged, reaching into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes, "anyone want one?"

Everyone except Soda and Darry reached in at Tim's offer, and Steve's lighter was passed around the table until everyone had lit up. The conversations soon became individual, with only occasional comments about Two-Bit, who seemed to be getting ignored by Kathy for the most part.

"Moore's doin' pretty good," Tim noted, leaning back into his chair.

"What do you mean?"

"She likes Mathews a lot, doesn't she?"

"I'm pretty sure…"

"Well, she ain't responding to his advances, unless ignoring the person who's talking to you counts as fallin' into their arms or some shit like that. You get what I mean babe?" He leaned in, but I leaned back, smiling softly and putting my finger to his lips.

"Behave," I said simply, but I rubbed my free hand slowly up his thigh, feeling my smile grow bigger as his eyes got darker, and he let out a low growl.

An upbeat, poppy song began to play, and Soda jumped out of his seat, looking at me.

"Kat, dance with me!"

I grinned, moved Tim's arm off of me and kissed his cheek. "I'll be back."

Soda was bouncing on the balls of his feet by the stairs, and when I met him he laughed, taking me by the hand and pulling me to the dance floor.

"I thought that this song would never play," he laughed as he twirled me around him.

"It's the Beatles, of course it's going to play!"

The song playing was _Twist and Shout,_ which was mine and Soda's song. We decided this about two years ago, the first time that we heard it. We were home alone, something that was rare, but we took advantage of the occasion. What we did that afternoon wasn't any different than any afternoon at home: we were lounging around the living room drinking soda, eating and flipping through magazines with the radio on at full volume. The song came on, and I almost fell off the couch in shock at the noise level, but Soda picked me up and we began to dance. We did the Twist, which we had learned when we were ten, and Soda twirled me around the living room, making both of us laugh as we tried to avoid bumping into the furniture. Soda and I continued to dance the whole afternoon, even after our family came back home.

"I didn't know that they let people like you in here," someone said mockingly as soon as the song finished. Soda and I turned around, and he immediately put his arm in front of me, pushing me back.

"What do you want?" he spat at Tennant and Smith, the two boys who were at the Dingo with Michael over the summer, the day that Tim got arrested.

"Just wondering why they let you greasers in," Tennant answered, smirking and reaching to touch me, but Soda smacked his arm away.

"Don't you ever touch my sister," Soda hissed, crouching slightly, and reaching into his back pocket, where I knew he kept his switchblade.

"Soda…" I whispered, putting my hand on his shoulder, "don't…"

"Soda," Smith said in a high pitched voice, clearly mocking me, "don't… Don't what?" he snarled, and I clenched my fists, feeling my lips turn into a snarl.

"Shut up!" I snapped, moving next to Soda, my hands on my hips.

"Who the hell do you think you are to say that to me?" Smith demanded, putting his hand out, but I slapped him, letting out a low growl.

"Yeah K.C!" I heard Jimmy yell over the music, but Smith and Tennant's eyes were blazing with anger.

"You little-"

"Problem?" we looked up and saw Michael, a questioning look in his eyes.

"Of course not Michael," Smith answered, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Well, girls usually don't go around slapping people for no reason," he said, giving me a sly smile.

"We were just wondering why they let people like them in here," Tennant said, glaring at me and Soda.

"Is there a reason why they wouldn't let Miss Curtis and her brother here?"

"They're-"

"What bullshit is this?" a new voice asked, and I looked next to me to see Tim, a scowl on his face, "why the hell are you comin' in a defendin' Kat and Soda?"

Smith whispered something to Tennant, who nodded and they both proceeded to walk away, leaving Soda, Michael, Tim and I alone.

"Tim..." I began uncertainly, "this is Michael, my... _Friend_."

"We're in a few classes," Michael added as Soda and Tim looked him over, their eyes narrow, "I heard that you're the one who pushed Katherine out of the way at the Dingo when there was the shooting."

"Yeah, I am." Tim's voice was still as rough, and he didn't uncross his arms.

There was an awkward silence for a couple of seconds, and I exchanged a look with Soda. The look in his eyes told me that he didn't really know what to think of Michael, and he nodded his head slightly up, indicating that I should bring Michael to Darry.

"Um... Michael? You want to meet my older brother?"

"Sure! He's upstairs?"

I nodded, and turned to Tim. "I'll meet you in a couple of minutes."

"Shepard doesn't look too happy," Soda muttered as we led Michael to Darry.

"No shit. Steve wasn't happy either when I sat down next to Michael."

"He told me."

"That boy has a rather fuckin' huge mouth, doesn't he?" I asked angrily, putting my hands on my hips.

"He... Was just keeping me informed..." Soda answered weakly, holding his hands up in defense.

"What?" Michael noticed that we stopped walking, but I shook my head, telling him that it was nothing important.

Darry was alone at our table and talking to the waitress. The girls and Johnny had moved to Shepard's table, and they were all laughing at something Two-Bit said. Even Kathy was smiling, and I told myself that I would have to talk to the girl. A well practiced eye could see that hers were shining in admiration, but she didn't do anything to show her ex boyfriend her feelings.

The waitress looked up as we got closer, and I saw her cheeks turn red under the bright lights. She smiled at Darry before turning going away, and he looked at us, his eyes much brighter than I've seen them in months.

"Darry," I told him, showing Michael, "this is Michael Andrews, the guy that Steven told you about. Michael, this is my older brother Darrel."

"Have a seat Michael," Darry said. It was an order, not a request. Michael sat down, and Darry looked at me. "You can go."

I glanced at Soda, who shrugged, and went to sit down next to Sandy, wrapping his arm around her.

"Can I borrow your sister for fifteen minutes?" I asked Scott. He just nodded and removed his arm from around Kathy's shoulders. She gave me a questioning look, but I just waved my hand and grabbed the back of Jimmy's jacket, pulling him away from the table.

"God, I'm coming, no need to pull so hard," Jimmy muttered, rubbing his neck, "where are we going?"

"To get cigarettes," I answered, going down the stairs, "I think Tim may be out. And I need some fresh air."

We told Tim what we wanted to do and he nodded, following us without a word. When we went out, he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close to him. Kathy raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, so I didn't explain anything.

"It's nice to be out of the cooler," Tim said, squeezing my waist, "and can you explain who that Soc was?"

"Some guy who's in English with us," Jimmy answered before I could, "and who apparently has a sweet spot for Kitty here."

"You and Steve really need to talk," I told him, annoyed, "I haven't been able to answer that question for all the times that I got asked that."

"You're just slow to answer."

"He isn't that bad looking, you know," Kathy said, ignoring the looks of disbelief that the boys were giving her.

"He's a Soc Kathy!" Jimmy shouted, throwing his hands in the air, "a rich asshole who's going to tear the poor girl apart if they get close!"

"I'm not going to let some fucker mess with my friends, especially if it's a Soc," Tim growled, and I had to push him away because he was holding me so tight.

"You guys make it sound like we're dating," I muttered, kicking a pop can out of the way.

"It damn well looks like you're going to!"

"Talking about dating," I said, trying to change the subject, "Kathy, stop rejecting Two-Bit's advances."

"But he-"

"Loves you very much and is sincerely sorry that he ever flirted with other girls," I finished, "I talked to him, he really does love you."

She was quiet for a couple of minutes, and we found ourselves in front of the liquor store.

"Here," Tim got his billfold out of his back pocket and handed Jimmy some money, "two packs of Marlboro reds, and get yourself one if you want. I need to talk to Kat."

Kathy took this as a hint to go in with Jimmy, and she put his arm through his as they went inside the store. Tim took me by the hand and put me against the brick wall of the store. I raised an eyebrow, trying not to smile as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"You know how I feel about Socs," he told me, frowning.

"Yeah, well I can't please everyone."

"You can please me for a couple of minutes," he smirked, not letting me reply as he pressed his lips to mine. I sighed into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He bit down on my bottom lip, and I let out a soft moan, allowing his to slip his tongue in my mouth.

"Asshole," I muttered, breaking away for a couple of seconds.

"I know you like it," he laughed quietly before kissing me again, pressing me against the wall. I'll admit it, his roughness turned me on, and I knew that even though he wouldn't admit it, he cared about me, and wouldn't hurt me. I gasped lightly as he moved one of his hands under my dress, running it over my thigh.

"That's what you get for earlier," he whispered, moving my hair back and kissing my neck.

He moved his hand higher to my center, rubbing me through my panties, and I bit my arm, trying to hold back a moan.

"God, you get wet fast," Tim said quietly, his warm breath tickling me. "You want me bad, don't you Kat?"

"Tim-"

"You know, as entertaining as this is to watch, I think that we should head back to the 20 Grand before the brothers go on a wild rampage wondering where their sisters are," Jimmy said with a laugh, and I pushed Tim away, but he didn't remove his hand immediately. Kathy's eyes were shinning with laughter, and I just buried my face in Tim's chest, my face burning.

"Shut up," Tim snapped, but he wrapped an arm around me and lifted my chin up so I could look at him, and kissed me.

"And as well as lipstick looks good on you, you might want to wipe it off before you see Darrel," Tim tried to punch Jimmy, but he ducked out of the way, tossing the packs of cigarettes behind him without a second glance. Tim hastily wiped his mouth, trying to remove all traces of my makeup.

xXxXxX

"There you are Katherine!" Evie yelled when I came back into the club with my friends. The Jerry Lee Lewis version of _A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On_ was playing, and I laughed as Tim pulled me by the hand to join Soda, Sandy, Steve and Evie. Two-Bit was against the wall, and he was looking behind me. He mouthed something, and grinned after a couple of seconds, running towards me. He grabbed Kathy by the waist and spun her around, his smile seeming to grow bigger as she giggled. This was our song, the gang's song. It was almost ten years old, but every time it played, we got up and danced. Normally Dally would be my partner for this song, but since he wasn't here, Tim replaced him. He was a pretty good dancer, and I loved how he spun me around and even dipped me a couple of times. He didn't smile, but behind his dark blue eyes, I could see that he was happy. And that made me happy, knowing that I was the girl that was dancing with him, that was making him happy.

The lights began to dim, and a male voice spoke over the soft music that began to play. "As it is, every hour, on the hour, we have the couple dance! Now boys, grab a girl and let her know how much you love her!"

I stayed in place for a few seconds then looked at Tim, letting out an awkward laugh. "Well... Um, I think that we should probably..."

"Get off the dance floor?" he suggested, and I nodded, looking down at our feet. "How about if I don't want to?"

_Lights turned way down low_  
_And music soft and slow_  
_With someone you love so_  
_That's where it's at_

"What?" I asked, feeling confused.

"Do I really need to explain to you K.C?"

The three couples that were our friends were dancing around us, and I noticed Two-Bit trying to give Kathy a kiss, but she just turned her head and his lips touched her cheek.

"I-"

"Please don't make me ask," he groaned, closing his eyes and running his fingers over the bridge of his nose.

"Please?" I smiled, entwining my fingers with his.

_Your world turned upside down_  
_You make not a sound_  
_No one else around_  
_That's where it's at_

"Katherine Joanie Curtis," he began with a slightly annoyed voice, and I could see that he was mentally kicking himself. I just grinned, looking up at him, "will you please dance with me?"

"Timothy Brian Shepard," I said a small laugh, mocking him slightly, "I'd love to have this dance with you."

"Thanks," he answered quietly, wrapping an arm around my waist and I put my free one around his shoulders. I laid my head on his chest, closing my eyes as I listened to his heartbeat and as we danced in a small circle.

_Your heart, beating fast_  
_You're knowing that time will pass_  
_But hoping that it lasts_  
_That's where it's at_

"Your heart _is_ beating fast," I said, clutching his hand tighter, but not looking up at him.

"It's because I'm dancing with you," he told me softly, and I smiled, pressing my body a bit closer to him.

xXxXxX

The song ended, the lights got brighter and an energetic, older song began to play.

"Well..."

"Thanks for the dance Tim," I said quietly, but I didn't let to of him.

"You're welcome Kat."

We stated at each other for a couple of seconds, and he kissed me on the cheek. I gave him a slightly disappointed look, but he just gave me that smirk of his that drives me crazy.

"Can I have this dance?" Jimmy asked, tapping my shoulder.

Tim let go of me, kissed me again, then walked away, pulling Curly, his younger brother, away from a group of girls as Jimmy waltzed me in the opposite direction.

"I think he likes you a lot ya know," Jimmy said as he twirled me around.

"Second person to tell me that this week," I muttered, "what makes you think that?"

"Well, the fact that he hasn't gotten sick of you yet is a major one, because we all know how much he loves being in the company of women that aren't his friends' girls or sisters," he answered with a hint of sarcasm, and I giggled, "another fact is that he talks about you occasionally-"

"WHAT?" I stopped dancing, but he shook me a bit, forcing me to dance with him.

"Don't tell him that I told you," he said, "he'd get so pissed off. But yeah, he does talk about you sometimes. Goes on about how great you are and stuff. And you know," he lowered his voice a bit, and I had to lean in a bit closer, "when he asked you to dance to dance with him, there was Andrews who was walking your way, and he looked like he was going to ask you to dance. The look on his face..." He let out a small stream of curses that made me blush. "Yep. He looked so pissed. Seems like Tim's going to start fighting over you."

"He does not... Why would he...?"

"Because you're pretty and nice, but you can still put up a tough front when you need to. I mean with those two Socs an hour ago? Man, that was tuff!"

I blushed, hitting his chest lightly. "Shut up."

"You should definitely show Shepard that you're interested, because I know that you are," he said before I could protest.

"I am not."

"Well," he pointed his finger up to where Darry and Michael were sitting and watching us, "would you rather date mister Soc or Shepard?"

"Do I answer according to my preference or my family's?"

"Yours you idiot. Are you avoiding the question on purpose?" I didn't answer the question and looked away. "Wait... You actually are interested in Andrews?"

I mumbled a 'maybe' and he just looked at me in disbelief.

"I'll see how things go, alright? If Michael and I don't work out, then I'll check out things with Shepard..."

"That's another reason why Tim likes you," he said quietly, "you look at all the possibilities that you have."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded, beginning to get more and more frustrated.

"He's a hood, and he enjoys it, but he's not stupid too. He knows that you take the option that's best for you. He realizes that he's not going to win gentleman of the year anytime soon, so if you end up with someone else he's going to be moody about it, but he ain't goin' to go out and kill the boy. He really respects you."

I remained quiet, and he didn't insist on anything. If what Jimmy and Two-Bit were saying was true, then maybe I would look at Tim as an option as a boyfriend. But as much as I liked Tim, I was afraid of what Darry's reaction would be if he found out that Tim and I were dating. Already, his reaction when he found out that him and I were sneaking around scared the heck out of me (then again, what brother would be thrilled about knowing that his sister is sneaking around with a juvenile delinquent?). But as I danced with Jimmy, I thought about it a bit more. Tim probably talks about other girls too. Sure, I may be the girl that he's hooked up with the most, but that doesn't mean that he likes me, does it?


	7. Chapter 7

**Thought that I'd post this before I go back to school to check out my exam results. I tried to make an effort to not have as much dialogue in this chapter than others. Hm... Tim might appear a bit OCC in this chapter, and this will be the last that you'll see of him for a while. Reading your comments it seems like you really want him and Katherine to get together! But this is (or will be) a Steve story, I just happened to fall in love with Tim when I finally began to write this. Don't worry, I don't plan on letting Tim go so easily. Finally, my apologies if some of the more heavy scenes aren't so good, it's kind of a personal thing. But it isn't important (for now). I hope that you're enjoying your summer/winter!  
************Rated M for sex outside of marriage that doesn't always include love, rape, swearing, abusive relationships, ****************underage drinking and smoking**, violent deaths and war.  
I do not own _The Outsiders._

* * *

School sucks. Seriously, being stuck in an ugly building for seven hours and getting forced to learn stuff that won't help me in real life isn't fun. When am I ever going to need to calculate the volume of a pool? NEVER. That stuff will not help me learn how to get a job. That's why next semester I'm going to take business math. Maybe that will help me get out of here.

But learning things that won't help me in the real world isn't the thing that annoys me the most, because once I leave school, I can just forget the less important stuff. The thing that I hate the most about school is the social hierarchy, because that's going to follow me wherever I go. I learned that in Sociology: social hierarchy is inevitable. At the top, there's the rich people, the Socs. Nothing can go wrong in their lives: they don't have to worry about paying bills, having new clothes or going somewhere in life, because no matter what, they're always going to find a way to be at the top of the chain. Then there's the middle class. They don't have as much money as the Socs, but they don't have to worry about paying the bills either. They're in the middle. And then there's the working class: the greasers and hoods. We have nowhere as much money as the Socs. The adults have to work their asses off to keep their housing and food on the table, and the ones that don't care always find a way to scrape up some money before the bills are due, or else they get evicted from house to house, and end up on the streets. The general population doesn't think highly of us. Social hierarchy follows us everywhere.

Like at home. The father is the unsaid leader of the family, with the mother below, then the kids, with either the boy or the oldest having the most importance. In a gang, where there's the leader, and then the second lieutenant (even if in my brothers' gang there isn't that). In any company, with the manager, boss or CEO at the top, and then the employees at the bottom. And even within the employees, there's social hierarchy. The toughest ones boss the weaker ones.

So that's the main reason why I hate school: the social hierarchy, because it's going to follow me everywhere I go in life.

But not all greasers are stupid and are going nowhere in life. Darry is the perfect example. Just the fact that we live in a bad part of town and don't have the best reputation makes him want to rise higher than the rest of us and go somewhere in life. Likewise with the Socs. Not all of them are bad (all right, I've only met two that don't live up to the reputation that they're given). One of them is Michael. We sit next to each other in the two classes that we have together, and he took me out to lunch once. We learned so much about the other, and I found out that under his cool looks and clean cut clothes, he's one of the sweetest boys ever. He constantly watches out for me, and asks me how I am in the hallways.

But his friends don't take quite kindly to me. As I sat my stuff down on my regular desk in English, Michael's friends came up to me.

"Who do you think you are?" Bob Sheldon asked, putting his hands on my desk and looking down at me.

"Katherine Curtis," I answered, feeling the corners of my lips curling up into a smirk.

"Don't give us that smart ass answer," Randy Anderson snapped, "seriously, being all over Michael like that? We heard enough of you fucking around since your sorry parents died-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Steve yelled, appearing by my side, "you have no fuckin' right to say that to her you pathetic piece of shit!"

Someone wrapped his arm around my shoulders as I fought back tears. Never has anyone used my actions against me, or the fact that my parents died to make me feel bad.

"I know why you're insultin' her," Jimmy snarled, flicking out his switchblade and stepping slightly in front of me, "you're just too damn proud to admit that your parents are having a tough time and that you sleep around with a different girl every party!"

Sheldon and Anderson looked at the switchblade in Jimmy's hand, and Anderson punched Sheldon in the shoulder.

"Come on man, we aren't going to waste our time with these filthy greasers here."

Sheldon spat on the floor next to me and Steve let out a low growl, clenching his fists.

"Take your seats students," Mr. Syme said, coming into the room and closing the door.

"Come on Kat," Jimmy whispered, tugging gently on the sleeve of my jacket as Steve turned on his heels and stormed away, "don't sit with them. You're way better than them."

I looked at the empty seat next to me and sighed, wiping at my eyes. Jimmy grabbed my book bag and my hand, then led me to the back of the classroom to where Steve was. His eyes were burning holes into the backs of the boys' heads, and he was drawing circles on the cover his notebook, pressing into the paper.

"Steve…" I whispered, putting my hand on his, "stop it."

He pushed my hand away, not bothering to look at me, "leave me alone."

I gave a hurt look to Jimmy, and he just shook his head, mouthing 'give him time'.

"Okay, so before we begin today's lesson, I want to talk to you about your first essay," Mr. Syme took a stack of papers out of his briefcase and handed them to Jessica Brown who was sitting in the first row and told her to pass them around. "On the paper that you're going to receive are three prompts that you can choose from and… Well, everything is on the paper. Once everyone gets one we'll read it together."

The door opened suddenly and Michael appeared, looking breathless.

"You're late Mister Andrews," Mr. Syme said, turning to Michael and crossing his arms.

"S-sorry sir," he panted, closing the door and clutching his chest, "Coach Davis wan-wanted to talk to me."

Mr. Syme nodded, looking Michael over. "Go sit down and - oh, thank you Miss Harris. Here are the guidelines and essay prompts for your first essay."

Michael took the paper and thanked Mr. Syme, then went to his seat. He noticed that I wasn't sitting where I usually sat, and looked around with a slightly confused expression.

"Is there a problem mister Andrews?"

"No sir, none at all," Michael answered quickly. He looked around the classroom again and we locked eyes. I felt my cheeks flush and quickly looked down at my paper. I'd explain to him what happened later. Or not. He'll probably figure it out on his own; his friends will probably laugh about it later.

We were reading _To Kill A Mockingbird_. I personally really liked it; it was a very interesting read. I was quite intrigued by the way the Southerners treated African Americans. Segregation still wasn't a huge thing in Tulsa, but I didn't treat blacks like they were lower than me, because Mama and Daddy taught me to never judge someone based on their clothes or skin color. If someone was nice to me, I was nice to them, it was as simple as that.

As Jessica Brown read the guidelines and prompts out loud, pausing occasionally as someone asked a question or Mr. Syme clarified something, I stared at the back of Micheal's head. He didn't turn around to look at me, and I put my head on my arms, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What his friends had said hurt so much. It wasn't the fact that they accused me of sleeping around, but the fact that they brought up my parents' deaths. It made me feel so low, like I wasn't able to take care of myself without the help of my parents or a boy.

xXxXxX

"K.C, do you want to go - Katherine?" I opened my book bag and swiped everything off my desk, not caring if the papers got crumbled, and ignored Jimmy. At this point feelings of anger and sadness were building up inside of me, and I was scared that I would start to scream if someone talked to me. I pushed past Steve, disregarding his curse and squeezed by everyone else.

"Katherine?" I recognized Michael's voice, and he put his hand around my upper arm, preventing me from going away. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Leave me the hell alone Michael!" My phrase shocked him, and he let go of my arm, his eyes wide. Some of his friends heard me and laughed.

"Finally she's talking sense," Sheldon laughed as I walked away, "she realized that you're too good for her and that she'll end up with some sorry asshole from off the street!"

Tears stung my eyes as I heard those words, but I pressed on, desperate to get out of school. I pulled the door open and was immediately swallowed by the mass of students. I didn't really know where I wanted to go, but I knew that I didn't want to be with the boys. I just wanted to be alone. So I began to make my way to one of the side entrances that led to the football field. At this time of year, the team would usually be practicing, but the bleachers were supposed to be empty.

"Kat-Kat!"

There were only two people that called me by that name, one a boy and the other a girl. The voice was feminine with a hint of roughness. Despite the fact that I haven't seem the owner in a while, I ignored her, walking faster. "Goddamnit, Kit-Kat, wait up!"

I heard protests behind me, and someone grabbed me roughly by the arm, forcing me to look at her.

"Fuck it Angel, I don't want to talk!" I yelled at the slightly short girl in front of me. Angela, or Angel for short, was Tim's sister. She was street smart, rough, tough and a bad flirt. Ever since she hit puberty, she used her charm and looks to wrap guys around her finger. She had long, black ringlets that went down to her mid back, and shining dark blue eyes. She was a really good friend of mine, although the attitude of hers could really piss me off at times. The only person that could really get her to behave without hitting her was Tim.

"God, are you on your period or something?" she asked, smacking her gum loudly and crossing her arms.

"You're funny," I snapped, pulling away from her.

Her gaze softened a bit, and she lowered her hand. "Are you okay?" Despite her tough attitude, she could be a real sweetie at times, especially when her friends or family were upset. I sighed, running a hand through my dirty blond hair.

"I just had a problem with a few Socs - excuse me, I'm talking to her."

A tall boy with dark brown hair and a good build, but with still a bit of baby fat, wrapped his arms around Angela's shoulders and kissed her. Bryon Douglas. He was in Ponyboy's year, and just as smart as him. But he had a really cocky attitude that pissed me off, so I didn't like him for that. And he seemed to be Angel's new boyfriend. Her longest relationship to date lasted about four months, and the shortest a week. I was curious to see how long this one was going to last, as they were both short tempered and stubborn.

"I'm dating her," he said back, kissing her again, "and I'm a guy, so leave me alone Curtis. Thought that you would know about men having more importance than women, since you live in a house full of them."

"Cut your shit Douglas, I ain't in no mood to deal with it," I snapped at him and turned to Angela, "do your brothers know about him?"

Her eyes widened and she visibly blanched. "Bryon, I need to talk to Kat, I'll meet you in front in a few minutes."

He looked at her for a couple of seconds, then kissed her. "All right. I love you baby."

"I love you too babe."

"I'm taking it as your brothers don't know about him," I said with a laugh, leaning against the wall to let people pass by.

"I'm going to tell them eventually!" she defended, crossing her arms, "and that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Tim."

"What about him?" I asked, even though I had a feeling what she was going to talk to me about.

"I heard about you and him messin' around together."

"We were not-" I could feel myself blushing but she interrupted me before I talk any more.

"Oh, shut up. He got out of jail last Friday afternoon and he didn't head over to Buck's. Walsh was the one who picked 'im up and one of the first things he said was that he heard you were goin' out dancing with your friends. So Timmy made Walsh drive him home so he could get all nicely dressed and stuff. The boys were gonna head out drag racin' but Tim made them go to the club."

"Speaking of last Friday night Angel," I smirked, leaning in a bit closer to her, "where were ya?"

She blushed about fifteen shades of red, stumbling over her words as she tried to cover up what she was really doing that night.

"I'll keep quiet about Douglas if you don't go around talkin' about your brother and I, all right?"

"Fine," she muttered, still red.

"Well, see you around Angel."

"Wait, Kat! I didn't tell you what I wanted to say!"

"Spit it out then kiddo."

"You and Timothy would make a really cute couple," she laughed and ran away before I had the time to react, and I hit a locker in frustration. Why does everyone keep telling me that?

xXxXxX

"Katherine!"

"What the fuck is it now?" I asked in frustrated voice, turning around to see who it was. Two-Bit was running across the grass, his backpack slung over one shoulder and almost falling off as he got closer.

"Where ya headed sweetcheeks?" he asked, wrapping an arm around me and walking alongside me.

"Under the bleachers."

"Why? There's no one to look at."

"Exactly. I can be alone."

"What happened?" There was no trace of him joking around in his voice, and I mentally forgave him for not taking the hint.

"Let's sit down and I'll explain."

Once we sat down under the bleachers, lit up and split my food in two portions because he didn't have any lunch, I explained what happened in English. I left out my inner feelings about Steve, but he seemed to know what I was thinking about out friend without me saying anything.

"He did seem pretty pissed when we met up at his car," Two-Bit said, taking a couple of chips from his pile, "he didn't want to talk about it though."

"Do you think he's pissed off at me?" I asked after taking a drag on my cigarette and blowing out the smoke.

"Nah," he answered, "it's Steve sweetheart, you know how he is. Try talking to him again in bio. If he's still mad... Well, I'm sure that he'll get over it by tonight. Anyway, off this subject. Unless you still want to talk about?" I shook my head, taking a bite out of my sandwich. "Well then. How are Darrel and Victoria?"

I almost choked on my food, laughing. Victoria was the waitress at the 20 Grand that my brother was talking to last week. They called each other a few times in the evening, but haven't had a chance go out yet. Victoria was a college student at the University of Tulsa, and she was studying to become a nurse. Darry seemed infatuated by her, and was always in a really good mood after he got off the phone with her.

So Two-Bit and I spent the rest of lunch talking about them. We skipped the entire dating process and went directly to marriage. Would they wait until Soda found his own place and Ponyboy and I were in college or would she move in with us? How many kids would they have? What would they look like? What would their names be?

We had a really fun time talking about my brother and Victoria, and I completely forgot about the Socs and Steve until the bell rang.

"Let's ditch," Two-Bit suggested when he saw my expression.

"Did I really look that horrified?"

"Come again?" he asked, grinning, and I just had to laugh.

"I'm fine, I'll just head to class."

"All right, well I'll walk ya to class then I'll head out. If the French teacher asks, I'm sick."

"Silly boy," I giggled, looping my arm through his.

xXxXxX

Steve wasn't in the classroom when I arrived, and Miss Brown almost fell over in surprise when he arrived five minutes late, coming in through the door with a bang.

"Mister Randle, why are you late?" the teacher demanded, although her voice was a bit shaky.

His lips barely moved as he mumbled what I assumed to be his reason, and he stormed over to the back of the class, slamming his stuff down on the floor. Miss Brown began to talk again when Steve sat down, or at least she tried to. Students were looking back to him and muttering, but he ignored them, writing furiously in his notebook. When they saw that he wasn't responding to their actions, they turned back to the front of the class and changed their topic of conversation.

I got out a pen and tore a piece of paper out of my notebook.

_thank you for earlier. you didn't have to do what you did._

I slid the paper over to him and poked his arm gently.

"What?" he hissed, glaring at me.

I shrunk back a bit, and the look in his eyes softened, but not by a lot. I pointed to the notebook paper and he took it roughly, almost crumpling it.

"Yeah, you're welcome kid." His voice was soft, but there was no hint of bitterness or anger in it. "Hey, Kat... I... I'm sorry if I seemed pissed off at you. I'm not."

I looked up at him, some of the feelings of sadness going away. His dark eyes were soft, and he gave me something that could pass for a genuine smile.

"I just couldn't stand to hear them talk about your parents that way, and I'm sure that Soda would have done the same thing if he heard them talk about you like that."

My cheeks heated up at his words, and I looked away, putting my hair in front of my face. "Thanks Steve."

He didn't reply, and after a few seconds I heard him begin to write again, although not as fast as before. Steve was all right when he wanted to be.

xXxXxX

The car had been trailing me since I got out of the convenience store to get a Coke. It was a bright blue Sting Ray, and it was full of Socs. Rock music was playing loudly from the car's speakers, but I could hear their laughter over the music. So far, they haven't tried anything, but I knew that wouldn't be the case for long. It was stupid of me to walk home alone, but I couldn't find Ponyboy or Johnny when school ended, and everyone else had work. I had no idea where Two-Bit was, Dally was in jail, and it was out of the question for me to call Soda or Darry to come and get me. Fuck! I should have just gone with Steve to the DX, at least there I would have been safe, and I could have gone to the office to start my essay. Godammit, I just don't think sometimes.

They were less than half a block behind me, and I was quickly debating my options. If I walked faster, they could easily catch up to me and only God knows what they would do to me. And I was wearing heels, so running would be difficult. But if I continued at the pace that I was going at, they would still something. I don't think that I walking in any specific gang's territory, so I was free game.

I looked around at the houses, trying to keep my panic to a minimum. Houses. _Houses_. I'm pretty sure that they don't know where I live... I can walk up to any one of these houses and knock on the door and pretend that I live there!

I was almost at the end of the block, and I turned into the yard of the second to last house, acting like it was it was my place.

"Hey grease! What are you doing walking in other people's houses?" one of them yelled, and I turned around angrily, cursing and reaching into the front pocket of my book bag for my switchblade. Darry hated the fact that I had one, as it made me more vulnerable to getting injured if I got jumped (not that it happened very often). But my switchblade was small enough, with only a two and a half inch blade, so it wasn't very noticeable. Making sure that it was hidden in my clenched fist, I went back slowly to the sidewalk. The Sting Ray was parked in front of the house, and five well built, well dressed guys got out, all with shit-eating grins on their faces.

"Well, what do we have here?" one of them, a black haired one wearing a dark blue varsity jacket asked. I recognized him immediately as Josh Holden, Paul Holden's (an old friend of Darry's) younger brother. He walked around me and eyed me. "A dirty little greaser?" He spat out the last word, and his friends laughed. My cheeks burned, and I held my switchblade tighter, my nails digging into my skin. "Well, you're pretty enough," he stopped in front of me and put his hand under my chin, forcing me to look at him. I pulled away, feeling disgusted.

"Leave me alone!"

I tried to turn away but someone pulled my arms behind me, preventing me from running off. My hand opened, and my switchblade fell on the sidewalk. I closed my eyes, cursing and mentally kicking myself.

"What's this?" Holden bent down and picked up my switchblade, flicking it open. "A switchblade? Sweetheart, you really thought that you could defend yourself with this pathetic thing?" he laughed and tossed it to one of his friends, who proceeded to throw my blade down the gutter. Holden then turned back to me, his eyes dark with hate and anger.

"Don't call me that!"

"Is Katherine better?" he asked mockingly, bending down a bit so we were eye to eye.

_If I look away, I'm scared, if I stare back, I'm defiant…_

I stared right back at him, and he laughed again, straightening his body. "We've got a feisty one here boys!" Snickers passed through the group and I set my jaw, but inside I was scared stiff. They could easily outrun me, so I just prayed that someone would come along and save me. "So _Katherine_," Holden said, empathizing on my name, "I've heard a lot of things about you..."

"Really?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual, "what kind of things?"

"Things like you're a dirty little whore and that you'll suck off any guy that will pay you enough."

"That's a fuckin' lie!" I screamed, trying to pull away from the Soc that was holding me. I looked at the four others, tears building up in my eyes. They were all mocking me, I could see it in their eyes. Their cold, dark eyes full of anger and hate...

A black Corvette came to a stop in front of the Sting Ray, Elvis blasting from the car's speakers. Five lean and tough looking guys came out of the car, and I just about fainted with relief when I saw them. They were the two Shepard boys, Jimmy and two other boys from their gang. None of them besides Jimmy acknowledged me, and they all flicked out their switchblades.

"Let her go," Tim growled, "she didn't do nothin' to you."

"Who are you to be telling us what to do?" the one who threw my switchblade away snarled.

"Timothy Shepard, and I'm tellin' ya one last time to let her go."

I wanted to run to him and into his arms, and the guy who was holding me must have sensed that, because he twisted my arm, letting out a low growl. I squeaked, a tear falling from the corner of my eye, and Tim flicked his eyes over to me. They were as cold as the Socs', and I almost felt scared looking at him.

"You aren't going to give her up?" Tim asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Give me five reasons why we should," Holden spat.

Tim sighed, reached into the waistband of his pants, and pulled out a heater. The Socs tried not to look shocked, but failed to, and Tim smirked.

"One," he aimed the gun to the lawn of the house that we were standing in front of, pulled the trigger and the Socs recoiled as grass and dirt flew in the air. "Two," Tim pulled the trigger again, and this time the Socs fled. The one holding me pushed me to the ground and Jimmy steadied me as the Socs sped away.

"You okay honey? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"I... I'm fine," I answered, my voice a bit shaky as I wiped my eyes. "Thank you so much for driving them away..."

"No problem," he kissed my cheek and grinned and I turned red. "You blush awful easy."

"I can't help it," I said, giving him a shy smile, "what are you guys doing here anyway?"

"You know, just passin' through," he said nonchalantly, but I didn't buy it. I knew that none of them lived in this neighborhood; it was lower middle class, so the houses were still too expensive for what we were able to afford. I glanced at the Corvette again, and it all clicked in. They were going to go around in the houses looking for stuff to steal and then sell on the streets.

"Don't get caught," I told him, sighing.

"I knew that you'd understand," he said, ruffling my hair. "Shit, looks like the guys are leaving. I'll see you Monday sweetie."

"Can I talk to Tim?" I asked before he ran off to follow his friends.

He bit his lip, scratching the back of his head. "Listen, about Tim..."

"What about him?" I demanded.

"He... Fuck... Listen, I'm sure that you'll find out soon enough, but I really gotta go."

"Jimmy!" I tried to run after him, but he was faster, and I let out a curse as I stumbled over a crack. He gave me an apologetic look right as he reached his friends. "Fuck you!"

"I'm-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Tim put him in a headlock, quieting him. When I saw him doing that, I realized that I didn't care that if I was going to get in the way of him and his gang, and called out his name. He ignored me, but Curly didn't. He tried to look back at me, except Tim slapped his head, preventing him from doing so.

"FINE!" I cried, "come talk to me when you grow a pair Shepard!"

A wave of triumph washed over me when when he stopped in his tracks, but I knew that I was in for some shit as soon as the words left my mouth. The boys all turned around, and Tim stormed towards me, his eyes blazing.

"Did you just tell me to grow a pair?" He growled as he came to me.

"Maybe I did," I answered coolly, not daring to break eye contact. "You ignored me when I called your name."

"I heard about you and Andrews getting all close."

"And this bothers you because…?" I could tell that the question pissed him off, and he stepped closer, but I leaned back. His eyes were as dark as ever as he sighed, putting his hands on my hips so I couldn't get away, but his next actions were gentle and soft, nothing that one would expect from a boy like him.

"You fuckin' drive me crazy Kitty Kat," he told me quietly, putting my hair behind my ear.

"Do I now?" I asked, lightly tracing his scar with my fingertips.

He looked at me, his dark blue eyes full of some sort of emotion that I couldn't read. His next move shocked me; he cupped my face and kissed me hard, making me gasp in surprise. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, bringing our bodies closer. His hands moved down my sides to my butt and he squeezed it, smirking into the kiss, as he lifted me off the ground. I gasped, cupping his face and wrapping my legs around him to balance myself but my lips didn't leave his.

"Let's go back to my place," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. I just nodded, unable to speak, and kissed his nose.

"Shepard!" one of his boys called, and he turned around to look at them. "What are ya doin'?"

"Meet up at my place at eight," Tim shouted back, hitching me up a bit, causing me to giggle.

"But-"

"No buts! Who's the leader here?"

"Tim..." I shook my head, clearing my thoughts, "if you have to-"

"I don't have to do anything," he interrupted and kissed me, then turned back again to his gang, "Curly, don't come into the house until dinner!"

Curly nodded, telling his brother that he understood. Jimmy winked at me, his eyes shining with laughter, and I put a finger to my lips. He dipped his head and smiled, mouthing 'no problem'.

With me still in his arms, Tim opened the passenger door and set me down in the seat, kissing me. He let go of me and closed the door before I could kiss him back, leaving me slightly frustrated. But when he sat down in the driver's seat, slamming the door shut, I leaned in and cupped his face with one hand and pressed my lips to his. I pulled away after a few seconds, and began to kiss his jaw and neck.

"I want you so bad Tim," I whispered, biting gently on the tender skin of his neck. His squeezed the back of my neck as I said those words, and he lifted my chin up, kissing me before I could say anything else.

"Let's get going then baby," he said, smirking at me, "the old man is out and Ma's at work."

He turned the keys in the ignition, and the engine came to life. He shot me another look and I smiled at him.

"Who'd you swipe this from?" I asked as he made a sharp turn at the end I the block.

"Don't know, don't care," he answered with a wink.

xXxXxX

Tim was risking getting a ticket and more jail time as he sped through the streets, making illegal turns and running through red lights. He would steal kisses from me when he had to stop the car, and there came a moment when I couldn't take it anymore.

We were about ten minutes away from his house, and traffic appeared to be relatively light. I put my hand on his thigh, smirking as his eyes widened at my touch. I rubbed it, squeezing occasionally, going higher and higher. His reaction made the action worth it: his hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his breathing hitched up as I reached his crotch.

"Kat-Kat..." he warned, throwing me a sideways glance, but I just smiled at him, pretending that I wasn't doing anything. I began to draw circles on the front of his pants, which were becoming tighter by the second, and he turned the steering wheel violently, making the cars behind us honk in anger. He glared at me and I just shrugged, trying to look as innocent as possible as I cupped his crotch, causing him to throw his head back in pleasure and bite back a groan.

"You... You're gonna fuckin' pay for that when we get to my place."

"Really now?" I asked, placing a kiss on his cheek and removing my hand.

xXxXxX

Tim barely parked the car in front of his house when I got out. The house appeared to be empty, and I pushed open his front gate, skipping to the front door, but Tim caught me by the waist before I got there. He spun me around so I was facing him and kissed me, and I grinned under his lips.

"Where do ya think you're headed?" he asked.

"Inside your house," I answered smartly.

"Well, you don't got the keys," he said, reaching into his back pocket and twirling the keys around his finger. He released me and strode to the front door, opened it and I followed him. When I was in inside the house, he slammed the door shut, making me trip in surprise. He put his arm under me before I hit the floor, and lifted me up, holding me by the hand.

"Thanks," I whispered, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"Yeah…"

We looked at each other for a few seconds, not daring to speak. The only things that I could hear were my heart pounding in my ears and our breathing. Without a word, he took me and put me against the wall, his breathing heavy and his eyes dark with lust, before pressing his lips to mine. He moved his hands down to my ass and I sighed into the kiss, but it turned into a moan as he rolled his hips against mine.

"Wait…" I pulled away, bent down to take off my heels, and cast them aside. I was noticeably a few inches shorter, but he just nodded, smirking slightly.

"You're short."

"You're tall."

"There ain't nothin' wrong with that," he said, moving my hair out of the way and kissing my neck. I tilted my head slightly, making it easier for him to kiss me, and ran my hands down his back, tracing patterns with my fingers until I got to his belt loops. I looped my thumbs through the two front ones, bringing him closer to me. He let out a low growl and bit down on my neck, making me gasp out his name and breath harder.

"You like that, don't ya Kitty?" He moved his hands to my ass and cupped it, lifting me a bit and making me stand on the tip of my toes. I closed my eyes, kissing him as he swiftly zipped my skirt off. I stepped out of it, kicking it away and moved my hands from his belt loops to his chest, running my hands over him. He let out a low groan, pulled away to let me take his shirt off. As soon as the article of clothing was on the floor, he scooped me up in his arms and began to walk toward his bedroom. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, leaning my face towards his.

"Dally wouldn't bother with the bedroom," I said quietly, tracing patterns lightly on his chest with my free hand and biting my lip.

We both knew that I was bullshitting him, as I haven't done anything with Dally since we dated, but his eyes glazed over in lust. Even if him and Dally were best friends, they still competed a lot, and they refused to let the other be better than them.

With a finesse that I didn't know he had, Tim pulled off my panties and threw them towards the bedroom and moved me so that my legs were around his shoulders and my back to the wall. My hands instinctively went to his hair, and I tugged gently, moaning and throwing my head back as he began to lick me and run his thumb over my clitoris.

"Ti-Tim!" I cried out, digging my nails into his shoulders, trying not to lose my balance.

"I bet Winston wouldn't do this, would he?" he asked with a smirk, pressing his thumb down harder and moving it in small circles. Waves of pleasure built up and crashed over me as he continued to lick me out. My cries were bouncing off the walls; when he sneaked into my room it became an instinct to put my hand over my mouth to quiet my moans, but no one was home so I didn't have to worry about anyone hearing me.

xXxXxX

"You good darlin'?" Tim asked, taking me by the hips and setting me down on the floor, but he quickly steadied me when I realized that my legs were shaky. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him, cupping his crotch. He stumbled backward but steadied himself, moving his lips to my neck and sucking on the soft skin there as he made his way to the bedroom.

"No," I whispered, "the living room."

"And if someone walks in…?"

The surprise was evident in his voice, but his smirk told me otherwise. He wasn't trying to talk me out of it; he was telling me that there was a possibility that someone could come in on us.

"Fuck if I care," I said with a small giggle.

"You're fuckin' amazin'," he said, sitting down on the couch so I was straddling him.

I didn't answer and ground my crotch against his, biting my lip. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back as I kissed his neck and went lower, running my hands over his chest and kissing it. I could feel his erection straining against his jeans, and drew circles his crotch, enjoying his groans of frustration as he told me to hurry up.

"Telling me that isn't gonna get you anywhere," I said sweetly, undoing the buttons of my blouse with one hand as I used the other to slowly undo his belt. He opened his eyes, ready to tell me off, but my blouse was almost all the way open, and he licked his lips, his eyes on my breasts.

"No touching'," I warned, taking my blouse off as he reached his hand out.

He just growled while I unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. He lifted his hips off so it would be easier for me to take them off. I threw them across the room and began to rub him through his underwear. He was already hard, and I enjoyed his groans of frustration as he told me to hurry up.

"You're such a damn tease," he growled, ignoring my earlier request to not touch me. I gasped as he pushed down the material of my bra so that my nipples were poking out, and he pinched them, twisting them slightly. I felt the corners of my lips twisting upward, and pulled off his underwear, choosing to be nice and not tease him any longer. When I placed my lips on the head of his cock, he released my nipples and his hands found my hair, which he pulled at as he let out a loud moan.

He kept my hair out of my face as I bobbed my head up and down and tried to keep him from thrusting his hips to much. My center was throbbing, and I wanted to stop and get on top of him, but something inside of me was telling me that it was a bad idea.

"Fuck, Kat… Shit I'm getting close," he let go of my hair and I could feel his body tensing up. With a final, hard suck, he came into my mouth and I swallowed, getting back up on my feet. I wasn't up for long though, because he grabbed me by the hips and sat me down on his lap, kissed me as he quickly undid my bra. He laid me down on the couch and began to kiss my neck. I immediately put my arms around his shoulders, dug my nails into his skin as he slowly began to pump his fingers inside of me. I was longing for him, I wanted to be as close to him as physically possible.

I nudged him gently and he looked at me, his stormy blue eyes filled with lust and yearning. I captured his lips in a kiss then pulled away.

"You fuckin' drive me crazy too Timmy," I whispered, kissing his cheek.


	8. Chapter 8

**I had a hard time writing this, just wasn't really inspired, but I do hope that you enjoy it (: Thank you very much for the reviews and subscriptions, they always make me smile (:****************  
I do not own _The Outsiders._**

* * *

I was curled up against Tim's chest with one of his arms around me, holding me close to him. We had been lying like this for a while, but weren't planning on moving any time soon. Our heartbeats were one, and his deep breathing soothed me. I smiled up at him, and he grinned back, then leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. I sighed into the kiss, shifting a bit so that my leg was around his waist, momentarily leaving a gap between our chests. He took advantage of this, moving his hand to my left breast and squeezing it. I let out a soft moan, biting down on his bottom lip.

"You're amazing," he whispered, kissing my cheek, "really fuckin' amazing."

Before I could reply, soft voices came to us from the kitchen. I recognized one as Angel, and the other as Douglas. Shit, when did they get here?

Tim's eyes were blazing in anger when I glanced at him. Without a word, he took his boxers, tossed them to me, and began to put on his jeans.

"Why-" I began, but he cut me off.

"You don't want them to see ya naked, do ya?"

I decided that it was best not to answer and slipped on his underwear after putting on my bra. The boxers hung low on my hips but I didn't mind. He snuck over to the kitchen, with me following him, and I jumped when he yelled, stumbling backward and covering his eyes.

"ANGELA MARIE, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOIN'?"

I peeked behind Tim's shoulder and saw Angela with her hands over her chest, with Douglas behind her. Both were blushing something fierce at having been caught, and it wasn't hard to tell why. I'd be embarrassed too if my brothers came in on me.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ," Tim muttered, looking straight into Angela's eyes, "sit down. You too!" he snarled at Douglas, who tried to walk out of the kitchen undetected.

"Tim, can I please go put on a-" Angela began, but her brother interrupted her.

"You got yourself in this situation, you're stayin' in it until I tell ya you can get out, you hear me?" he snapped, sitting down, "get dressed," he told me, "just give me a few minutes."

I walked out of the kitchen, gathered my clothes that were lying around in the hallway, then went to get dressed in Tim's room and waited until he was finished with Angela. I tried not to listen to his yelling as I rearranged my hair in his mirror, but his voice penetrated into my thoughts.

"I thought I told you to stop fucking around, you're not even fifteen!"

"You climbed in through your bedroom to not disturb us? Don't you fuckin' mean so that you wouldn't get caught?"

"I don't give a damn, I don't want you doin' what you're doin'! No, don't even fucking try to interrupt me! You're going to end up in the streets as a five dollar whore!"

I winced at the last comment, feeling Tim's words stab through me just as if he were talking to me. Tough love, that's what it was. I knew that the Shepard siblings did care for each other deep down, they just didn't show their affection much. Once Tim came over to our house in the middle of the night, back when my parents were still alive, and his moving around woke me up.

_I went out to the living room, wondering who it was, and saw Tim lying on the couch, a beer bottle in hand._

_"Do you want me to get you a blanket?" I asked softly, standing in the doorway._

_"Mrs. Curtis?"_

_I stepped out into the living room, under the moonlight. "It's Katherine."_

_"Come here."_

_I stepped closer to him, feeling a bit apprehensive. I could smell the booze on his breath, but he didn't look like he was in a dangerous mood, so I went to sit down next to him. As soon as I touched the couch, he wrapped an arm around me, pressing his lips to the top of my head. I was shocked by this gesture; he was always mister tough guy and refused to show any affection, even if there weren't many people around._

_"Tim, are you okay?" I asked, lifting my head from his shoulder and looking up at him. His head was turned away, so I couldn't see his expression as he responded negatively. I bit my lip as his body began to shake, and put my hand under his chin, making him look at me when he didn't push me away. His eyes were shut tightly, and he tried to turn away but my grip on him was firm, even if my voice was soft. "Timmy… What happened?"_

_"I'm fuckin' sick of it Kat," his voice was strong, but his body told me otherwise. He was trembling something bad, and I couldn't help feeling worried. What could have gotten him this worked up?_

_"What are you sick of baby?" I talked to him the way that I would talk to a little kid who woke up after a nightmare, softly and soothingly._

_"Curly got arrested again," he said roughly, wiping at his eyes impatiently, "god, that kid pisses me off so much sometimes! He's only fuckin' thirteen years old and he's going out and robbing liquor stores!"_

_I decided that it was a bad idea to tell him that he got suspended from school at the age of nine and got arrested for the first time at when he was eleven._

_"And Angela… Fucking hell, it kills me to say it, but she's so… Fuck, I can't say it! What brother wants to find his younger sister getting fucked on the kitchen counter?"_

_I bit back a gasp, and just hugged him, nuzzling my face in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around him, his body shaking. "I don't want them to be like me, ya dig? I want them to be somethin'; they deserve a hell lot more than what they have."_

_I let him cry on my shoulder and go on about his family. He told me things about them that I probably otherwise never would have found out, like how much he hates his father for leaving his family, hardly before Angela could walk, or how he wishes that his siblings could be better behaved. He told me that his childhood was like mine, until his father left. When he finally fell asleep, I laid his body down on the couch, and went to the hallway closet to get a blanket for him._

_"Honey, what are you doing?" Daddy was standing in the hallway when I came back from the living room, "I heard people talking."_

_"Tim Shepard came over," I answered, looking at him in the dim light, "he just needed someone to talk to. He's asleep now."_

_"I think that you should go back to sleep now little miss," he said softly, hugging me and kissing my forehead, "princesses need their beauty sleep."_

_I giggled softly at his statement. That's what I was to him, his princess._

_"All right Daddy, good night. I love you."_

_"I love you too sweetheart."_

When I woke up the next morning, Tim wasn't there. I didn't see him until a few days after, and he didn't mention anything that he said to me. I wasn't sure if he remembered what happened, but when he had to leave, he winked at me, and I knew that was his way of telling me thanks.

The bedroom door banged open, and Tim came in, his face red and his eyes dark. He threw a hairbrush at me, muttering under his breath.

"Fuckin' asshole, thinks he can bang my sister," he grumbled, throwing on a shirt, "god, he thinks that he's all that but he's just some sorry punk kid..."

His words became incomprehensible as he opened his closet door and began to throw clothes out of it, apparently looking for something. I chose not to interrupt his thoughts, and put myself in front of his mirror, running the brush through my hair.

"You ready?" He asked, wrapping his arms around my waist. His eyes were still dark, but they lightened after I kissed him.

"You're bringing me home?"

"Partway at least."

"Bring me all the way," I told him, turning around to face him, "tell Darry that you saved me from the big, bad Socs, maybe he'll be nicer to you." I leaned in and kissed him, brushing his ungreased hair out of his eyes.

xXxXxX

Before we left, Tim literally threw Douglas out of the house and yelled at Angela some more, threatening her with murder if she left the house or tried to get Douglas back in. I'll admit it, as much as I didn't like the kid, I still felt pretty bad for him. In the car, Tim was ranting about how Angela was going to end up pregnant while still in high school and how irresponsible she was, but I knew that he was really worried. Tim drove me to the edge of my neighborhood after I told him that if Darry saw the car, he'd immediately assume that I was out stealing stuff with Tim.

We were passing by the lot a few blocks away from my house, our arms around each others' waists. We exchanged kisses and touches, talked about fights that had happened and who was going out with who, when we saw two figures sitting in the grass, smoke rising in the air in the gap between them.

"Are they-" I began, hoping that my sight was wrong.

"Our brothers!" Tim pulled away from me, and I followed him as quick as I could. The two boys quickly lifted up their heads when they heard us, terrified looks on their faces, but didn't remove the cigarettes that they were pressing into the other's finger. Sweat was pouring down their face, and I had to cover my nose when I smelled the burning flesh. "Are you two fuckin' crazy?" Tim yelled, cracking their heads together and making them drop their cigarettes in the grass, "burning holes into each other, what the fuck gave you that idea? First Angel, now you two! Goddamn, next time I see ya two pullin' a stunt like this I'll kill ya both!"

Both boys hung their heads down in shame, and I could see Pony's ears becoming red.

"Tim-" Curly began, but his brother hit his head again, making the younger boy yelp.

"Shut up, we'll talk about it at home," Tim told him roughly, but his eyes softened when he turned to me, "I guess I'll bring this idiot back home, I'll let ya deal with your brother..."

"That's cool," I told him, glancing at the two younger boys. Sweat was glistening off their still red faces under the afternoon, and they were looking at us curiously. Tim noticed this too, and looked at me, cocking an eyebrow. Whatever he did next would be reported back to his gang, thanks to Curly.

He took a tentative step towards me, and I smiled at him, staying where I was. Seeing that I wouldn't move, he closed the gap between us, cupped my face and pressed his lips to mine as I closed my eyes. The softness which he kissed me with shocked me, and I left my arms by my side as we kissed, moaning softly as he bit my lip before pulling away, pecking my cheek and going back to his brother, dragging him by his jacket away from me and Ponyboy.

"I thought you didn't love him," Pony told me after a few moments of silence.

"I… Don't…" But I didn't quite believe myself. Yeah, we just had an hour and a half of sex, but it was moments like earlier, when he told me that I drove him crazy, or that kiss, soft and sweet, that made me wonder if I really did love him. There's always that part of you that wonders if you love someone that you see occasionally, even if me and Tim are a bit different than most cases.

The smell of burnt skin reached my nose again and I snapped out of my thoughts, glaring at my little brother. "But enough about me, what the hell were you doing with Curly?"

He cast his eyes to the ground, kicking an empty beer can out of the way as we began to walk home. "We were tryin' to see who was the toughest."

"Did you really need to burn holes into each other?" I asked, exasperated, "shit, what are you going to tell Darry? Wait, let me look at your finger."

"That's not really the question…" he said, holding out his hand. The skin on his index finger was dark, and the smell was terrible, but I didn't think that it would be too bad. Just a bit of cream and he'd be alright. "We were supposed to be home right after school or at the DX with Soda."

"Crap…" I let go of his hand and ran a hand through my hair, "where did you go after school?"

"Corner store with Johnny, then we walked along the train tracks for a bit before coming to the lot. Then Curly came along and Johnny went home."

"Did you see anyone else from school?"

"No."

"All right."

I pondered about what we would say to Darry for a moment as I dragged a stick on the chain link fences of the houses we were passing.

"Alright, so here's what we're going to tell him," I said, throwing the stick away," we'll just say that we went to the corner store after school, then some Socs started to give us some trouble," he cocked an eyebrow at this, but I just gave him a small shrug, "some did bother me... And that's where Shepard comes in. He and his gang drove them away, then we started to talk to them. And then this happened," I pointed to my brother's finger, "because you two wanted to see who was tougher. What?" I asked at Pony's upset look. "Do you have any other way you want to explain it?"

"I can't think of any other way," he said, pouting slightly.

I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, holding him close to me. "One day I'm gonna take you out Pony, just like we did when Mama and Papa were alive."

"That'd be nice," he smiled.

We were outside of our house now, but there weren't the usual shouts or loud music playing. I looked at Pony, wondering of they were all still at work.

"Can't be," he said, cocking his head slightly, "it's Friday."

We pushed open the front gate, then the front door.

"Where the heck were you two?" Darry demanded, standing up from his armchair, his eyes an icy blue, "oh, but glory!" he narrowed his eyes at us, "what's that smell?"

I felt Pony quickly put his hand in his pocket, but Darry noticed this. "Ponyboy Curtis..."

"We were with the Shepards..." I said before Darry could go on any further, looking at my feet, "some Socs were givin' us trouble and the Shepards came and saved us."

"What Socs?" I noticed a figure on the couch, and my hand went immediately to my hair, trying to fluff it. Michael. Holy shit, what was he doing in my house?

Darry noticed my expression and answered my question. "I invited Michael over for dinner, so I could get to know him better. I've heard a lot about you two."

"I... What…" I stuttered, unable to find something coherent to say.

"That's not important," my brother cut in, "but that doesn't explain that god awful smell. Ponyboy, let me see your hand."

Pony slowly took his hand out of his pocket and showed his finger to Darry. As our older brother started to scold him, I looked at Michael as my face burned. Goodness, dinner after what happened this afternoon? That's going to be slightly awkward, especially after what I just did with Tim. Wait, no one knows what I did with Tim, except his gang and maybe Ponyboy. But what we did was going to be on my mind during the whole meal. Oh, thank God we didn't go any further than what we did.

Michael smiled shyly at me, and my heart just melted. I smiled back, feeling my heartbeat speed up.

"Katherine, go take a quick shower, dinner's going to be ready in a bit more than an hour."

"But I'm-"

"Get the first aid kit while you're at it."

I guess I have no choice then. I got the first aid kit before going to my bedroom for a clean dress. In the shower I scrubbed off all traces of me and Tim having been together. But when I thought of it, I could still feel his lips on mine, and his hands caressing my body. Shit! I'm not supposed to think about this when I have a potential boyfriend sitting in my living room!

I quickly shut off the water and dried my body, put on my dress, a light pink, figure hugging one. Once my hair was dry, I tried to fluff it up. Once I was satisfied with how it was, I threw my dirty clothes in my bedroom and joined my brothers and Michael in the living room. I noticed that Soda and Ponyboy were on the two seater, looking rather bored, as Darry and Michael spoke animatedly.

"There she is!" Darry said, standing up. Michael copied his movement, and closed the gap between us. He took my hand and raised it to his lips, kissing it. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Soda throw a disgusted look to Darry, but didn't say anything.

"Are you feeling better Katherine?"

"What?" I asked, feeling confused for a second. Then I remembered what happened during English, "oh, yeah, I guess."

He scooted over a bit and patted the seat next to him. I sat down next to him, feeling slightly awkward with all of them looking at me.

"Michael was just telling us how he wants to be an architect once he graduates from college," Darry said after a couple of seconds of silence.

"Oh really?" I asked, looking at my friend. From the corner of my eye, I saw Soda visibly yawn, and Pony punched him in the arm. Gosh, he's not that impolite usually...

xXxXxX

Half an hour after I finished my shower, dinner was ready, and I silently thanked God for it, as eating would save us from any unnecessary conversation. So far, all we talked about was Michael's past, future and family. Darry hung on to his every word, and I listened politely. Sure, Michael was my friend, but I wished that he could have asked about me a bit. However, there was nothing I could do about that. Sandy told me that whenever Soda went to her house, conversation focused a lot of him or the family; it was standard procedure to talk about the boy.

When it was just the family, I sat next to Soda, but Darry asked Michael if he wanted to sit next to me, and he gladly accepted. Pony sat at his usual seat across from me, and Darry and Soda switched, so Soda was at the head of the table while Darry was in front of Michael.

Dinner was pretty quiet compared to most other times, with Darry and Michael who were doing most of the talking. I poked at my dinner, moving the food around the plate, speaking only when spoken to.

"Katherine, you aren't eating."

I looked up at my oldest brother, whose own plate was almost cleared, then down again at my plate. "I'm not that hungry."

"It's your favorite though."

"Darry," I said firmly, clutching my fork, "I'm not that hungry."

"Eat at least half, you need to build up your figure."

I glared at him, biting back a response and shoving a forkful of mashed potatoes and chicken in my mouth. Normally, he wouldn't make such a huge deal out of me not eating, but I suppose since Michael was here he wanted me to. Even if we're poor, we need to maintain a good image. And for that, the boys need to be strong, which they are, especially Darry, and I need to be curvy. A lot of girls in our neighborhood were on the slim side, and I was hovering around the middle of slim and curvy.

Someone nudged my leg, and I looked up at the boys. Darry and Michael were talking about Michael's father's job (he was a doctor), Ponyboy was eating his dinner, his eyes fixed to his plate. Soda's eyes were also on his plate, but he looked at me through his hair, titling his head slightly. The look in his eyes told me that we needed to talk once Michael left. I nodded lightly, but pointed my head to Darry, holding up one finger.

_I need to talk to Darry first_.

I frankly don't care how nice Michael appears, but he's a Soc, and coming into our house was taking a big step.

After dessert, which was chocolate cake (as usual), we retired to the living room. Ponyboy and Soda excused themselves to go outside, so I was left with Darry and my potential boyfriend.

xXxXxX

"But we've been talking about me all evening!" Michael laughed, and brought me out of my thoughts about one particular night that I had spent with Tim. "What do you want to do after high school Katherine?" he grasped my hands, and an electric shock traveled through my body.

"She wants-"

"I'm not quite-"

Darry and I spoke at the same time, and I lowered my eyes.

"Go on Katherine," he said, and I let out a small sigh of relief. That was going to be the first time all evening that he had given me permission to speak about myself.

"I'm not quite sure what I want to do," I began, trying not to get lost in Michael's eyes. They were a beautiful sea green, bright and clear...

_Shit, get a grip on yourself Katherine!_

"But um... I was thinking maybe joining the Peace Corps. Or journalism. I'm not really sure."

"Ah, you still have at least three years to decide!" he said, smiling, then glanced at his watch, "shoot. I'm sorry Darrel, but I really need to get going. It was a pleasure being here and getting to know you and your family, in addition to Katherine."

_But we hardly talked about me..._

He got up, and Darry and I followed. My brother and him shook hands, and Michael handed me his arm. "Do you want to walk me back to my car?"

I glanced at Darry, who nodded. It wasn't hard to notice the glee behind his ice blue eyes, but all I was feeling was nervousness. Would Michael kiss me or did he just want to be alone with me?

I sighed and took Michael's arm, then we walked out to the driveway, where a bright red Corvette, not unlike the one Tim stole earlier, was parked. How I managed to miss that, I don't know. How the hell can you miss a bright red Corvette in your driveway?

"Well, tell your brother thanks again for the nice meal," Michael said, and I nodded, trying to smile. "It was really great to finally meet your family. Do you think that you can come over to dinner sometime? I've told my parents all about you, and they really want to meet you."

"That would be nice," I said politely, even though the idea of going deep inside Soc territory terrified me, even more so than the idea of meeting his parents.

There was silence for a couple of seconds, except for the distant yells of parents and kids and shouts of children playing football. With a small smile Michael cupped my face and kissed me. It wasn't unlike Tim kissing me, but after a couple of seconds he put his tongue in my mouth, moving it around in a circular motion for a few seconds until I pulled away, casting my eyes to the ground. Ugh! That was unbelievably nasty. He does not know how to kiss. I could teach him a few things or two. Wait, can I do that? Or would it be deemed rude if I told a man how to kiss? I should ask one of the girls... I would not be able to handle getting kissed like that.

"I guess I should get going," he said quietly, smiling at me.

I smiled back, trying to forget about the kiss. Ugh, he was so wet, even the guys from Brumly are better kissers!

"I'll see you Monday then sweetheart."

He got into his car, waving at me, and backed out of the driveway. I waited in front of the house, waving and smiling until he turned into the corner and disappeared. Then I went back into the house, ignoring Darry's calls, then went into the bathroom, turned on the sink and began to wash out my mouth. I have never met a guy who kissed that bad...

"Katherine!" Darry was behind me when I walked out of the bathroom, and I couldn't help rolling my eyes.

"Leave me alone Darry!"

"Don't you talk-"

I slammed my bedroom door shut, locked it, and started to unzip my dress, my heart pounding in my ears.

"Katherine Joanie Curtis, you open this door right now!"

My dress was lying in a heap on the floor, and I sat on the bed, taking off my stockings. Ignoring my brother's yells, I grabbed a tank top, a pair of pajama shorts and a pair of socks from my dresser, and a black leather jacket that I vaguely recognized as Tim's from my closet.

"You want to talk?" I asked coolly as he pounded on my door again. His face was red, and his green blue eyes were blazing with anger. "Well, for one, you can stop yellin' at me, I ain't deaf."

"Don't give me that attitude missy," he growled.

I leaned against the doorway, trying to look calm. "Yeah?" I asked, "well, I'll stop givin' ya the attitude when you tell me why the hell you invited Michael over."

"Whose jacket is that?"

"I asked first."

"We arranged it," he answered, trying to keep his voice even, "after talking to him last week I thought that he seemed nice, and wanted to know him better. I thought that it was nice that you were starting to make friends with people that aren't from our side of town."

"You know that I don't like surprises," I snapped, "and do you realize that you exposed us?"

"Exposed us? How?"

"Oh, seriously Darry? You hung out with boys like him during middle school and high school, you know how they are!"

"I'm not the one who sits with him in class, am I? Who gets called sweetheart and blushes whenever he speaks to her?"

My face started to heat up, and I shoved my hands in the pockets of the jacket. "I'm going out."

"Oh no you-"

"Let her go Darry," Soda said, suddenly appearing behind our brother. I gave my twin a grateful nod and headed out the front door, almost bumping into Two-bit who was drinking on the front porch.

"Hey Katherine," he stood up somewhat unsteadily and leaned against the wall, "how was-"

"Two-Bit," I interrupted, "I love you, but I really don't want to be here. Is your mother home?"

"Yeah," he answered, "yeah she is. Hey Kat, you're okay right?"

"Don't worry about anything," I told him, cupping his face and kissing his cheek, "we can talk after."

I ran all the way to my friend's house and was breathless by the time I arrived. Elizabeth was sitting on the front steps watching Melanie play with a friend, and she quickly rose up when she saw me.

"Katherine, is everything okay?" she quickly put her arm around my waist to support me as I held on to the fence, panting. Running was never my strongest point, I couldn't run to save my life.

Elizabeth led me to the steps and gently sat me down. "Breath deeply sweetheart, I'm going to get you some water."

"Katherine, are you okay?" Melanie asked, sitting down next to me, "you sound like you're crying."

I tried to laugh at the younger girl's comment, but my throat was still dry, and I bent over coughing, trying to breath. Melanie clutched my hand as Elizabeth came back with a glass of water.

"Here, drink up sweetie," Two-Bit's mother told me softly, rubbing my back. The cool liquid was refreshing, and I drank everything, handing her the glass, thanking her quietly. "Do you want to go inside?"

"I… I'm fine here, I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"You and Ashely can play for another half hour, then we're going back inside baby," Elizabeth said to her daughter, who looked at me uncertainly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Mel," I smiled, kissing her cheek, "go play with your dolls now." Melanie pecked my cheek, giggling, then went skipped back to her friend and dolls. It's so easy to please kids, just a couple of nice words, a smile and a hug and kiss, and everything is okay. I wish that I could be a kid again, back when I didn't have to worry about boys.

"What did you want to tell me?" Elizabeth asked, wrapping a comforting arm around me. I sighed, and began to tell her everything, starting from English class.

"Give Michael a chance," she told me once I finished talking, "he seems like a really nice boy, even if he is from the other side of town."

"But what about Tim?" I asked, feeling torn between the two boys. Michael was sweet, good looking, smart and caring. Tim was tough, not quite the best looking guy that I knew, but he had something about him that attracted me. He was smart too, although not in the same way as Michael, and I loved the sweet, tender moments that we shared occasionally.

"I hear that he likes you," she said, smiling softly.

"Not you too!" I groaned, burying my face in my hands, "where do you get that from?"

"You hear things working in a bar," she laughed, "he came over with a few of his friends the other night and they talked about you for a little while. And let me tell you, he thinks very highly of you."

I blushed at her words, running a hand through my hair. "I just wish that he'd tell me…"

"Why don't you tell him?"

"I'm not sure if I like him that way or not," I said, looking at the two young girls playing with their dolls, stuck in their own world with no worries except scraped knees and cooties. "I think I should get going, Darry was pretty mad at me."

"All right," Elizabeth stood up too, and hugged me tightly, "if you need to talk to an adult, I'm here. And can you tell Keith to come back, I'm going to be working later and I don't want the girls to be alone."

"Of course, thanks a lot Elizabeth."

xXxXxX

I jogged back to my house, pausing every once in a while to catch my breath. You've probably figured out that when we had to run a mile in gym, I was one of the last ones to finish. Sometimes when Soda wasn't too busy racing Steve, he would stay back with me and encourage me, maybe even carry me on his back for a while if the coach wasn't watching.

Soda and Two-Bit were sitting on the front porch, the former smoking and the latter still drinking.

"Is Darry still mad?" I asked, sitting down with my back to the street.

"Yeah," Soda answered, "he was going to run after you but he's calmed down a bit, he's helping Ponyboy with homework now."

"Glory, what did I get myself into?" I sighed, reaching into my pocket for a cigarette.

"Oh, he'll get over it soon," Soda said as I lit up, "I sure as hell would have been shocked if I was you."

"What exactly happened?" Two-Bit asked, setting his bottle on the ground.

"Darry invited Michael over for dinner and the conversation was all about him, I'm not used to that!"

"What, you're used to the conversation being about you?" Two-Bit laughed.

"This isn't funny!" I snapped, crossing my arms.

"Don't worry about it Kitty," Soda said, "he does seem like a… A…"

"A what?"

He muttered something under his breath and Two-Bit laughed again. "You don't want to know what he said sweetie."

So it seemed like Soda didn't like Michael. My sweet, caring and funny brother who usually got along with everyone said something about my potential boyfriend that I shouldn't hear. That's a first.

"And he kisses like a dog," I said, "ugh! I mean he's nice and everything but he's a really bad kisser!"

"When you say that he kisses like a dog…" Two-Bit began, looking a bit confused.

"I mean that it's like he's trying to lick the inside of my mouth," I finished for him, stubbing my half finished cigarette on the wood, trying not to smile as Soda gagged. "Oh, your mom wants you to go home for the night before she heads to work."

"Are you serious?"

"No, I'm joking," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. Soda laughed and got off the beaten couch, sat down next to me and wrapped an arm around me.

"Evie called earlier, she said that she's having a sleepover with Sandy and Kathy and wanted to know if you wanted to go."

"Will I be allowed to after what happened?"

"You're havin' a girls night tomorrow sis," Soda grinned, rubbing my hair affectionately, "I convinced Darry to let you go. You haven't had a sleepover in a really long time in a really long time."

"Aren't you two sweet?" Two-Bit asked with a grin as I kissed Soda's cheek. "Wait, ain't that Shepard's-"

I chucked my carton of cigarettes at him, putting my finger to my lips. "Shut up."

"What are you doing with his jacket?" Soda asked, and I hit my head.

"It's a long story," I answered, getting out of his grip and kissing Two-Bit's cheek, "I'm going to go apologize to Darry now."

I pushed open the front door, careful not to let it slam behind me. Darry was sitting in his armchair, reading the paper, and he glanced up as the door closed.

"Hi," I said quietly, staring at my feet.

There was the sound of paper shuffling, and his feet appeared in my field of vision. "I'm not going to bite you Kat."

I looked up at him, smiling softly when I saw his grin, but blushed when I remembered what I wanted to say. "I… I'm sorry about earlier Darry. I'm just not-"

"Not used to formal dating?" he suggested, and I nodded. "Don't worry. I'll let you decide when you want to see him now."

"He asked us over for dinner next week."

"We should be able to go. Listen Kat, Michael seems like a really good guy, I'm really glad that you're friends with him. But I promise that I'll keep in mind that he's your friend and that I won't control what you two do. Unless he hurts you in any way, then I'll interfere."

There was a silence for a couple of seconds, then I closed the gap between us, hugging him around the waist.

"I love you Darry.


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm really not satisfied with this chapter... I don't own the story that is told in here, made a few minor edits to it such as spelling. I hope you enjoy it though.  
I do not own _The Outsiders._**

* * *

"Got your sleeping bag?" Soda asked, sitting on the edge of my bed as I fluffed my hair up in the mirror.

"Yeah," I answered, holding it up with a smile, "thanks a lot for last night. Even if Darry and I made up."

"Aw shucks, don't worry about it," he said sheepishly, "it's what I'm supposed to do."

"Well you're an awfully sweet brother," I smiled, sitting down next to him and kissing his cheek.

"Stop making me blush Kit-Kat," he laughed, wrapping an arm around me, "what are you girls goin' to do?"

"Drive around a bit then go back to her house, the usual," I shrugged, "paint our nails, talk about boys, that sorta thing."

I giggled at his expression and moved so that I was sitting on his lap, but I wasn't there for long because Ponyboy came in, his ears red. "The girls are here."

"Aren't you precious?" I cooed, pinching his cheek and smiling as he blushed even more, "you've gotta learn how to be smooth around girls Pony."

"I'm not that-"

"I'll take you out one night and we can pick up girls together little brother," Soda told him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

"But you-" I started, thinking about Sandy, before Soda interrupted me.

"Have a girlfriend, I know, I know," he grinned, waving me away, "but I ain't gonna do anything with them, they're all for Pony."

"Well have fun talkin' about girls, I'll get going," I said, kissing them both on the cheek, "I'll see you two tomorrow."

"Wait, I wanna go say hi to Sandy!"

Soda took my stuff and ran to the living room, with Pony and me behind him. The girls were talking to Darry and Two-Bit, and Sandy squealed in delight as my brother dumped my stuff on the floor and took her by the waist, spinning her around before kissing her. It was easy to see the love in their eyes, I thought as Kathy hugged me, that's the kind relationship that I want: fun and carefree, where we could be ourselves. Even before I started dating, my brothers were everything that I wanted in a boyfriend: big and strong, like Darry, fun loving and reckless, just like Soda, who craved adventure and was sweet, just like Ponyboy. Tim and Michael were those, however different they were. Tim was strong, reckless and always looking for action, and could be super sweet when we were alone. Michael was strong, fun loving, and had high dreams, and always waved at me or said hi when we'd see each other in the hallway at school.

"So I guess that we'll get going now," Evie said, looping her arm through mine and snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Just a few ground rules though," Darry said before we turned to go out, his arms crossed.

"Darry," I whined, but he held a hand up.

"No getting excessively drunk-"

"What?" Two-Bit protested, "but that's the best part about goin'-"

"No smoking more than a pack of cigarettes," Darry continued loudly, ignoring Two-Bit, "and no altering your appearance drastically."

I knew that he was thinking of the time when I came home from Sandy's house with my hair cut like Dee Dee Kenniebrew from The Crystals. It suited me well, but Mama and Daddy weren't too happy about the fact that I made such a drastic decision without asking them first.

"You know that I don't drink a lot," I told him, pouting slightly.

"I also know that you have a low tolerance for alcohol," his comment made my friends laugh, and I crossed my arms, "come on kiddo, I just want you to be safe. Oh, and I know that you ladies are responsible, or at least I hope so," he added when I exchanged a look with my friends, "but if you happen to get in trouble with the cops, I'm not coming down to the station to pick you up."

"We'll be responsible Darry, don't worry," Evie reassured him with her usual charming smile, "we're just going to cruise the Ribbon then go home for dinner and do girl things."

"All right, stay safe," Darry hugged me, and Soda kissed me after kissing Sandy again. As we headed out the door, I pat Two-Bit's head just as if he were a dog, narrowly avoiding his punch with a laugh.

"Love you guys!" I called out before I stepped into Evie's blue Ford Fairlane.

xXxXxX

"So what time are we eating dinner exactly?" Kathy asked, glancing at her watch.

"We gotta be back before eleven, and Mama said that she'd save enough food for us. But I was thinking that we can be back around ten so that we can have more time for messing around at my place. Is there anything you girls want to do?"

"Nothing except have fun!" I shouted, laughing and pumping my fist in the air, much to my friends' delight.

xXxXxX

Thanks to one of Evie's connections, we managed to get some booze. We passed the bottles between us as we walked along the Ribbon, occasionally getting into people's cars and catching up with them, sometimes flirting with the guys in cars next to us. We were all feeling pretty buzzed, and I smoked cigarette after cigarette instead of downing alcohol like the others. A movie that we wanted to see was playing, but we got kicked out for disruptive behavior, much to our amusement. Sandy, the most sober one, suggested that we call it a night after we got kicked out.

My arm was around Evie's waist as we walked back to the car. She was laughing uncontrollably (well, we all were) as she attempted to tell a joke, something to do with a bear and a Soc.

"Hey, Kathy there's your brother over there!" Evie said, stopping in the middle of her sentence and pointing Scott out to us, "hi Scott!" He looked around to see who called his name and saw us. He raised a hand and nodded, telling us that he saw us. We all waved back, except for Kathy, who buried her face in her hands as we laughed. Her brother was leaning against a storefront with a few other guys and girls, doing what we were doing, which was smoking and drinking.

"Look, there's Shepard!" Evie giggled, poking my side, "go say hi to him!"

"You're really drunk," I told her, although I couldn't help looking toward the group to see if Tim was really there. He was, and seemed to be telling a story to the guys, his arm was wrapped around a girl's shoulders. I knew that he spent time with other girls, but actually seeing him that close to one made me feel jealous, something that I haven't felt in a while. I let out a low growl before I realized, and my friends turned to me, alarmed.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" Sandy asked, putting her hand on my arm.

At that moment, Tim glanced toward us and nodded at the girls, his mouth set in a thin line. But when he looked at me, his eyes hardened, and I dropped my arm, about to wave at him. Even in my less than sober state, I still felt chills go down my spine as I saw his expression: he's never looked at me that way before. Then, with something like a smirk, he moved the girl's head towards his and pressed his lips to hers. She responded immediately, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing her lower half against his.

"Ew, you can actually see the tongue," Evie noted, shuddering visibly.

Sandy made a comment to her, something about Steve, but I wasn't quite listening. The girl and Shepard had pulled away, and her fingers were circling the front of his pants as he kissed her neck. He caught my eye again and smirked the way that he'd smirk at Dallas whenever he won whatever competition they were doing, his eyes glinting in the light. That's what Jimmy must have been talking about. Tim knew that Michael felt something for me, and he didn't want me to be with a Soc, our rivals. Oh, and he probably found out that we had dinner together and that Michael thought made me feel terrible, and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

"Get fucked Shepard!" I screamed, my vision blurring as the tears spilled over.

"Holy shit, Katherine!" someone pulled me by the arm, away from Tim, as sobs racked my body, making it hard for me breath. After a few moments of getting dragged and bumping into people, I got sat down and Evie wrapped her arms around me, brushing my hair and talking to me soothingly.

"Cry baby, cry, let it all out..."

Why was I crying? Tim and I never were never officially going steady, I shouldn't be crying. Everything that everyone had said to me about him having feelings for me were lies. I was just a silly girl to him, just one of his buddy's friends, just another face among the many he's seen.

**_That isn't true_**, another voice told me, **_he never would have cried in front of you if you didn't mean anything to him. He wouldn't have bothered with you for so long if you didn't mean anything. _**

_If I meant something to him, then why hasn't he told me that he likes me?_

**_Have you ever known him to have a steady girlfriend? _**

_I shouldn't be crying_, I told myself, trying to block the other voice out of my mind while I wiped my nose on the back of my hand, _if I meant something to him he would have told me something._

**_Like I said, has he ever had a steady girlfriend? He doesn't know how to act with a girl that he likes. You were just a girl that hung out with his friends, until you came to him seeking comfort. And sometime between the kisses that you shared, you fell for him, and the same thing must have happened with him. That's why he defended you all those times, why he would kiss you softly and hold you tight in his arms. That's why he held your books and walked you to class and stayed nights, letting you fall asleep in his arms._**

"I think I lo-love him..." I whispered into Evie's shoulder, my heart beating faster as I said the word. Her hand stopped, and she gently put her hands on my shoulders, making me look at her. Her gestures were gentle, a bit uncertain, but her eyes were clear, with no hints that she wasn't completely sober.

"This isn't the place to talk about it," she told me softly, "we'll talk about it after we clean you up and eat?"

"I just told you that I… I think that I… I lo-lo…" I couldn't bring myself to say the word again and shook my head, "like one of the toughest guys that we know, and that's what you have to tell me?"

"I don't know if you're just saying that because of your current condition or just because, but - hey, look, there's our ride!" Kathy pulled up to the curb, and Evie took me by the hand, pulling me up. It was obvious that she wasn't going to talk about what I had just said until we were all fully fed and changed into our pajamas, lying on the floor of her bedroom. I sighed, wiped away the stray tears, and got into the car as Evie held the door open for me.

"Are you okay honey?" Kathy asked, looking at me from the front seat.

"We are not talking about boys until we get to my room," Evie said, holding her hand up and taking a swing from a bottle that Sandy was holding.

xXxXxX

Like our friend promised, her mother had saved some dinner for us, and even sat with us at the table, talking and telling us stories about Evie when she was a kid, making us laugh. I really liked Evie's mom; in a lot of ways she reminded me of Elizabeth: kind, sweet, and easy to talk to. But she was fragile, damaged after suffering through a miscarriage a few years after Evie was born. There were times when she would randomly blank out for a few minutes, seemingly unable to hear or see anything that was going on around her. Evie was always embarrassed whenever her mother happened to do that when there was company, but she knew that her mother's actions couldn't be helped. Her father was strong and kind, he fought during World War Two, in Germany; Mr. Thyme strongly reminded me of my own father.

Once we finished eating, we went down to Evie's room, careful not to disturb her older brother, who was a sophomore in college, and apparently had a girl with him, according to his mom. Evie's shetland sheepdog followed us, repeatedly licking my fingers and I tried to scratch her head.

"Come on Sandy, hurry up!" Evie called out as Kathy and I set our sleeping bags down. Roxie snuggled up next to me, and I stroked her fur, thinking of how much I'd love to have another dog again.

"I'm coming!" she sang, and a few seconds later she appeared in the doorway, wearing a light pink, silky nightgown, with Evie's mom behind her.

"Alright girls, Samuel and I are going to head to bed, so try and keep the noise down. Is there anything that you girl's need before I head off?"

"We're fine Mom," Evie replied, pointing the small pile of snacks that we took from the kitchen and the stack of magazines in the middle, "just go to bed, I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart. Goodnight girls."

"Goodnight Mrs. Thyme," we said in unison, waving at her as she closed the door and turned off the light, leaving Evie's bedside lamp and streetlights as the only sources of light.

"Alright, let's get down to business," Evie said, moving the magazines and food out of the way so she could see me properly, "mister Timothy Shepard."

I could feel my face heating up, and looked down, suddenly becoming interested in my fingernails.

"I don't know how I feel about him."

"Oh come on, you told me that you think that you love him right after you told him to get fucked."

The two others awed as Evie said that, but I just felt like dying right there. "I honestly don't know how I feel! I don't want him to be with other girls, and I'm just scared of what my brothers would say if we got together..."

"How do you feel when you're with him?" Kathy asked.

A feeling of warmth passed through my body as I thought how I felt when I was with Tim. I was happy, I felt protected, like no one could ever hurt me. He held me close to him, like he never wanted to give me up. Sometimes, he kissed me like I was a princess, soft and sweet, and I couldn't be any happier. Other times he was rough, but I didn't want to leave him, and he would hold me tight and kiss me tenderly.

"I'll say that she feels pretty good when she's with him," Kathy laughed, "just look at her! Her eyes are all shiny and she's got the same smile that Sandy and Evie get when their boyfriends do something sweet!"

"How about your smile when you're looking at Two-Bit when you think that no one is looking?" I asked, feeling slightly frustrated that I was the one that had all the attention.

"We'll get to that later," Evie replied, waving me off, "and we all know that they're going to end up together any-"

"What?" Kathy screeched, blushing, but Evie hit her.

"Like I said, they're going to end up together anyway. But you miss Curtis, have two boys after you!"

"Boy oh boy," I muttered, running my finger in circles on the top of a magazine.

"How does Michael make you feel?" Sandy wondered.

"He makes me feel... Happy," I said carefully, not wanting to provoke any of them because of his social status, "I like how he treats me like a person and not dirt, and how we can talk about almost anything... But Tim-"

"Oh, here she goes again," Sandy giggled, and I hit her, "it's obvious that you like him. Just forget about Michael and tell Shepard that you like him."

Something about the way she said that made me suspicious, but I couldn't think for long because Evie held up a hand.

"We've got to think about this rationally," she said, and Kathy nodded. As they both had older brothers, they were well informed about the do's and don'ts of dating, especially with hoods.

"You obviously seem to really like Tim," Kathy told me, and I nodded, blushing, "but you and Andrews… You seem to like him too, and you two haven't done anything, have you?"

I shook my head, murmuring a 'no'.

"I think that she should go with Tim," Sandy said, "the two really like each other apparently, and I feel that there's something a bit off with Michael…"

"I feel that too," Kathy agreed, "but Scott knows Tim. He's constantly bouncing from one girl to another. I have heard that he may be interested in you, and I'm not saying that he isn't, but what's stopping him from going to other girls even if you're his girlfriend?"

"What she said," Evie nodded, "I don't trust Andrews because of his social status, and there's no saying what he can do to her…"

"I still think that Tim is a better choice."

This went on for about twenty minutes, and I spent that time flipping through the magazines, looking at articles about how to properly act during a date, marriage advice, fashion advice, and even a quiz called _How Can I Tell If I'm Normal? _Well one thing's for sure, I wasn't normal, whatever the quiz said.

"Having fun?" Evie asked, taking the magazine out of my hand.

"A lot, thanks for asking," I replied, putting my head in my hands, "what have y'all decided?"

"Sandy is strongly for Tim, I think that you should take a chance with Michael, even if he is a Soc and something appears off with him… And Kathy says go with your heart."

"Know that whatever you choose to do, we'll be behind you to support you," Kathy smiled, and the two other girls smiled and nodded.

"Well now that that's settled, how about Kathy?" I asked.

"Oh, we all know that she's going to go back to Two-Bit," Sandy said, waving Kathy away as she begun to protest, "Fuck boys, how about some horror stories?" she suggested, petting Roxie.

"No!" Kathy screamed at the same time that Evie and I yelled "yes!". We all knew that Kathy just pretending to be scared, she loved hearing the stories just as much as the rest of us.

"Alright, so come closer girls."

"I wanna tell one!" I said as we squeezed in closer, and Roxie buried herself in Evie's sleeping bag.

"Oh no, not you!" Evie protested.

"Shut up," I told her, sticking my tongue out, "this one is called The Licked Hand-"

"I hate that one!" Evie cried, clutching Roxie close to her, and this made her bark out.

"I've never heard that one!" Sandy said, trying to hush Evie. "What's it about?"

"A young girl and her faithful puppy," I replied, grinning, "now shut up and listen to me."

_Once there was a a beautiful young girl who lived in a small town. Her parents had to go to town for a while, so they left their daughter home alone, but protected by her dog, which was a very large collie. The parents told the girl to lock all the windows and doors after they had left. And at about 8:00pm the parents went to town. So doing what she was told the girl shut and locked every window and every door. But there was one window in the basement that would not close completely._

The girls were dead silent, even Roxie wasn't panting. They were all staring at me with wide eyes, their hands over their mouths.

_Trying as best as she could she finally got the window shut, but it would not lock. So she left the window as it was, and went back upstairs. But just to make sure that no one could get in, she put the dead-bolt lock on the basement door._

_Then she sat down had some dinner and decided to go to sleep for the night. Settling down to sleep at about 12:00 she snuggled up with the dog and fell asleep._

_But at one point, she suddenly woke up. _

Kathy shivered, and I gave her my hand, which she squeezed hard. Evie had her arms wrapped around Roxie, and Sandy was shaking, taping her fingers on the floor.

_She turned and looked at the clock...it was 2:30. She snuggled down again wondering what had woken her...when she heard a noise. It was a dripping sound. She thought that she had left the water running, and now it was dripping into the drain of her sink. So thinking it was no big deal she decided to go back to sleep._

_But she felt nervous so she reached her hand over the edge of her bed, and let the dog lick her hand for reassurance that he would protect her. Again at about 3:45 she woke up hearing dripping. She was slightly angry now but went back to sleep anyway. Again she reached down and let the dog lick her hand. Then she fell back to sleep._

_At 6:52 the girl decided that she had had enough... She got up just in time to see her parents were pulling up to the house. "Good," she thought. "Now somebody can fix the sink...'cause I know I didn't leave it running." She went into the bathroom, and there was her dog, dead, hanging in the shower, dripping with blood, all its intestines hanging out. Written on the mirror in blood was: "Humans can lick too my beautiful". And behind her in the mirror, she saw the murderer. _

_"FUCK!" _Evie screamed, squeezing onto Roxie, who proceeded to bark out. The other girls screamed too as I rolled over laughing, clutching my stomach. A stitch was beginning to form in my side because I was laughing so hard.

The door banged open and we all screamed, hiding under our covers.

"Will you girls quiet down, it's getting late now!" Evie's father was standing in the doorway, his hands on his hips, "what are you screaming about?" Roxie was still in Evie's arms, struggling to get out of her grip. Evie let go and Roxie ran behind Mr. Thyme, barking. He picked her up, giving us a hard look.

"We were… Telling horror stories," Evie answered quietly, looking ashamed.

"Well tell all the horror stories that you want, but don't be so loud," he started to turn away, Roxie still in his arms, but Evie cried out her name.

"I want her!"

"If she barks again, you're grounded for two weeks," her dad said, setting down Roxie who bounced to me and closing the door behind him.

"Well that was fun," Sandy said, looking at us, "another one?"

xXxXxX

Something licked my hand, and I swatted it away, turning away. "Leave me alone Roxie," I mumbled into my pillow.

Roxie continued to lick my hand and I grumbled, "Roxie, let me sleep." I tried to push her away, but my hand landed on Evie's head. "Fuckin' dog," I muttered, burying my head in my pillow and trying to fall back asleep. I pulled my hand back inside my sleeping bag, but before I could do that, something tickled my face.

"Humans can lick too my darlin'…"

My eyes opened wide when I heard the raspy voice, and I screamed, shooting straight up and clutching my pillow. The other girls sat up too, shocked by my screaming. Evie was rolling around laughing, holding her sides.

"That… That was hilarious!" she cried, smacking her hands on the floor.

"Real funny!" I spat, hitting her with the pillow, "really," hit, "god," hit, "damn," hit, "_hilarious!_"

"What happened?" Sandy asked with a confused expression.

"I li-licked her hand and whis-whispered," Evie broke out into more laughter and put her face into her pillow, trying to stop.

"Humans can lick too my darlin'," I muttered, crossing my arms, "out of all the fucking things to say…"

"That's pretty funny," laughed Kathy.

"It is not funny in any way, shape or form," I said, turning away.

"Aw, I love you," Evie said, hugging me.

"Go away," I told her, pushing her away.

xXxXxX

After breakfast we talked a bit more before going back to our houses because we still had homework. All I had to do was read five chapters of _To Kill A Mockingbird_ and answer some questions that would help me for my essay, but it would take me a little while.

"I'm back!" I called out as I stepped in through the front door. Two-Bit was sitting in front of the television with a plate of chocolate cake and a beer can, Darry was reading the paper and Pony was on the couch, somewhat reading and somewhat watching Mickey.

"How was it?" Darry asked, standing up and taking my stuff from my hands.

"Oh, it was fun, like usual," I answered, "we painted our nails, see?" I showed him my fingers which were bright purple. He laughed, patting my head.

"Michael called last night, he told me to tell you to call him back as soon as you get home." My heart skipped a beat as Darry said Michael's name, and I couldn't help smiling. "Go put your stuff away and call him."

I ran to my room and threw my things on my bed, or at least tried to, because I'm pretty sure that I heard something fall as I slammed the door shut, but I ignored it. I grabbed the phone in the kitchen and quickly dialed Michael's number, my heart pounding. If Tim was going to play around with other girls and rub it in my face, then obviously he didn't care about me the way that people said he did. Two can play at that game...

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Katherine Curtis," I said, unsure if the deep voice was Michael or his father, "is Michael here?"

"You're speaking to him," he laughed, and I couldn't help but giggle, "how are you?"

"I'm fine, and you?"

"Great now that you called me back," he answered, and I blushed, twirling the phone cord around my finger, "I'm guessing Darry told you that I called?"

"Yeah," I said before I could think, and I mentally smacked myself, "I mean yes, yes he did!"

He laughed again, and I looked down at my shoes. I've never met a guy that could make me feel like this over the phone: blushing and making the butterflies in the pit in my stomach go crazy.

"Well I was wondering if you were available this Saturday? I've told my parents about you and they want to meet you. We were thinking that I can pick you up around six."

I squeaked while I tried to bit back a scream. Michael's parents wanted to meet me! They wanted to meet me! Oh gosh, I felt like I was going to faint.

"Just a second," I told him, trying to keep from bouncing up and down, and covered the receiver with my hand, "Darry!"

"Yeah?"

"Michael invited me for dinner at his house on Saturday, can I go?"

"What time?"

"Six!"

"You've got my permission."

"Darry said that I can go," I told Michael, taking my hand away from the receiver. I was going to meet his parents. Holy shit!

"That's great! I'll go tell my mom now. I guess I'll see you tomorrow Katherine."

"I'll see you, bye Michael!"

I hung up, putting my hands over my heart, and tried to calm my breathing. But I couldn't, and I screamed, twirling around in circles.

"What's going on?" The boys were standing in the doorway of the kitchen, Pony and Darry looking confused and Two-Bit vaguely amused. I screamed and laughed again, running into Darry's arms. He stumbled backward but held me tight and spun me around by the waist.

"I'm having dinner at Michael's!" I hugged my brother tightly as he set me down.

"This is really great Kat!" he smiled, "really, really great!"

"I'm so happy!"

"Thank him tomorrow at school," he told me, "but now you have to do your homework."

I groaned, and he laughed, rubbing my hair. "Do it quickly, then when Soda and Steve come back we can go out for ice cream."

I hugged him again and skipped down the hallway to my room, squeezing myself and trying to stop from screaming again.

_I'm really going to have a boyfriend… My first actual boyfriend!_

I flopped down on my bed after getting some paper and my book. I was just about to open it when someone coughed, and I looked up to see Pony and Two-Bit standing in the doorway of my room.

"Can we come in?"

I nodded, setting my book next to me and sitting up. They didn't sit down, and my friend crossed his arms while my brother fidgeted. Two-Bit poked Pony's ribcage, and he stopped, glaring up at him.

"I saw Shepard last night," Two-Bit told me casually, and I narrowed my eyes, trying to see where he was going.

"Yeah, so did I. He was with another girl."

"Scott told me that you yelled at him."

"What's it to you?" I demanded, standing up and going in front of him.

"I thought that you liked him," Pony said quietly, and I looked at him. His ears were red, like they usually were whenever he was embarrassed, but he looked right back at me.

"I did," I told him, turning away, "that's the key word. I don't anymore. I can't be with someone who'll constantly be flirtin' with other girls-"

"The boy loves you!" Two-Bit shouted, taking me by the shoulder and making me face him, "have you seen the way that he looks at you? Have you forgotten that dance that you had just a few weeks ago?"

"Why hasn't he goddamn told me that he likes me then? A look here and there and a dance aren't enough!"

"How about the kiss Friday?" Pony asked.

"Both of you, get out!" I screamed, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach as I thought of Tim's lips on mine, "I don't like him anymore!"

The boys looked at each other, then left the room without a word. As soon as they were out, I slammed the door behind them, then dropped face first on my bed.

I still did like Tim. Man, I didn't only like him, I'm almost sure that I loved him. Maybe, like Two-Bit and Jimmy said, he liked me too. The sweet kisses and caresses that he would give me were probably silent ways of telling me that he liked me more than he would say.

"No," I said out loud to the ceiling, clutching my book, "I don't like him. Not anymore. I'll have Michael in a few days."

I just can't lie to myself. But I would make that lie a reality. I swear.

**So what do you think? I promise that I have things in store for both Michael and Tim, this won't be the last that we'll see of him. I promise I'll get the next chapter out sooner, I spent half the week at my friend's house so I didn't have much time to write. Hope you all have a good day (:**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm sorry for the wait /: I know that I promised I would put out chapters faster, but it's going to be hard for me to write the next five or six chapters. Michael is a really tough character for me to write about, and it's going to be easy to see why soon. I really appreciate the follows, favorites, and comments it means a lot to me that people enjoy what I write (: One question, how do you feel about this being longer than most stories on here? Most definitely, there will be more than 30 or 40 chapters. Also, I made a mistake in the previous chapter, it's only Katherine who's going to dinner at Michael's, and it's on Saturday, not Friday. Special thanks to Entangler, who kindly offered to read this chapter, and help me with future ones (:**  
**************Rated M for sex outside of marriage, rape, swearing, abusive relationships, violent deaths, underage drinking and smoking and war.  
I do not own _The Outsiders._**

* * *

"You've got nerve to talk to me the way that you did the other night," Shepard appeared by my side, looking pissed. I ignored him, walking faster and clutching my books to my chest. "Oh come on Curtis, don't ignore me like that!"

"You don't want me to ignore you?" I turned to face him and noticed that his eyes were blazing, but I didn't feel anything; I was too mad at him to care. "Fine! Then I have two things to tell you Shepard. The first thing is that at least I have the nerve to tell people what I think, unlike others who are too damn scared to, and second, since I have the nerve that some people obviously fucking lack, go back to that girl you were petting the other night and leave me alone!"

"She didn't mean nothin' to me!" he shouted, "And what do you mean, some people don't have nerve? Are you tryin' to tell me somethin'?"

"If the girl didn't mean anything to you, why-"

"Forget about the broad, what are you tryin' to tell me?"

"I'm not telling you, not this time, you figure it out for yourself," I spat, "I'm pretty sure that you know what I'm talkin' about, and you shoulda told me a long time ago, because now it's too damn late."

"What do you mean it's too late?"

People were passing by and whispering, pointing at us, and some even stopped in their tracks and leaned against the cars to stare at us.

"I don't want to deal with you anymore Tim!" I was so frustrated, I almost threw my books to the ground. "I've heard so many things about you like... Liking..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence, but he was staring at me, eyes wide. I glared at him, trying again to finish my sentence, but couldn't do it. He noticed that and nodded, taking out his switchblade and stroking it softly.

"Liking what babe?" he asked, grinning slyly, "or maybe who-"

"Don't call me that!" I snapped, "That's what's been pissing me off, you can't fuckin' tell me what you think about me!"

He leapt toward me, his eyes flashing with emotion, mostly anger, but I could have sworn that there was a hint of want. Before I had the chance to really see what was in Tim's eyes, Steve got in front of me and pushed me behind him.

"Back off Shepard," he growled, "didn't ya hear? She said that she doesn't want to deal with ya anymore."

Tim glared at us, slowly twirling his blade through his fingers, his irises so dark that they were almost black. He didn't make any move to come closer to me, and began to walk away. But before he did, he just shook his head.

"I thought that you were smarter than that Kat-Kat."

Steve kept his arm in front of me as Tim walked away, hunched over with his hands in his pockets, then he turned to me, giving me a quick check.

"He didn't do anything to ya, did he?"

"N-no," I stammered, hoping that I didn't look as flustered as I felt, "he just said some things..."

The rest of the boys plus Evie and Kathy ran over to join us. Two-Bit, for once, didn't have his usual grin, instead he looked sullen, and was giving me a look very much like Darry did whenever he was disappointed in me. He shook his head slightly and turned away, taking a pack of sweets out of his inner jacket pocket.

"At least he didn't hurt you," Evie said, pushing Steve out of the way and hugging me, "he looked so mad..."

"He knows that if he hurts her he'll have his ass kicked," Steve muttered, taking a cigarette from Two-Bit.

My heart skipped a beat when Steve said that. Would he really go beat Tim up if he hurt me? No… No. He probably meant that Darry and Soda would go find him and kick his ass.

xXxXxX

"Hey, are you alright?" Michael put his hand on my arm as I slammed my book bag to the ground, "I heard that you and Shepard got into a fight."

"I… I don't want to talk about it," I told him, running a hand through my hair, "it's really complicated."

"Okay then," he set his stuff on the desk next to mine and took out the worksheet that we were doing Friday about (oh, the irony) social classes, "you want to hang out during lunch?"

"Sounds good," I smiled, taking out my own worksheet that was noticeably in worse condition than his. He brushed his fingers against my cheek when I lifted my head up and I pulled away, blushing.

"You're really pretty," he told me with a grin, "Shepard doesn't deserve a girl as sweet as you."

I bit my lip, keeping back a squeal. He noticed this and grazed his lips against my cheek, making my face heat up even more. I looked around when he leaned back, but no one was laying attention to us: the class was mostly composed of middle class students, with a few Socs, but they didn't hang out with Michael.

"My mom is really excited to meet you," he told me, sitting down as the teacher came in, "she's happy that you aren't a hippie girl."

"I ain't no hippie," I muttered under my breath, getting a pencil. I noticed that he winced as I said that, but I didn't pay any attention to it.

xXxXxX

Michael waited for me once English ended. Jimmy and Steve ignored me when they walked out; I'd have to thank Steve for what he did, and talk to Jimmy about Tim. He offered me his arm and I took it, smiling softly. Michael held me tightly as we said goodbye to Mr. Syme as we went out into the hallway.

"I know that you usually don't eat in the cafeteria, but maybe today will be an exception…?" He made it sound like a question, but everything that I've read in magazines and what the girls told me about dating etiquette was running through my mind. Girls were supposed to go along with whatever her boy suggested, unless he explicitly asked her if she had any other preferences. So I just nodded, and mentally tried to prepare myself for the next forty five minutes, because a greaser going into the cafeteria was just like if he was walking around the West side of town.

I don't think that I've been in the cafeteria since freshman year. Just as I remember, it was loud, crowded and full of Socs.

"Do you need me to buy you a lunch?" Michael asked as we got in the lunch line.

"I... no, I'm fine, I'm not that hungry to be honest." I suddenly felt conscious about the fact that I had a bagged lunch from home, and decided that I'd just eat it in bio, if Steve wasn't going to steal any of my food.

After Michael bought his food, he led me to a table by the windows where Sheldon, Anderson, Holden, Smith,Tennant and the two former's girls were sitting. the boys didn't notice me, but the girls did, and they gave me shy smiles.

"Hey Andrews, what's up man?" Holden high fived Michael as he sat down, and noticed me. His eyes immediately turned dark, his lips peeled back into a snarl. "What's this piece of greaser filth doing with you?"

I could feel myself turning a deep red at his words, and Michael wrapped his arm around me protectively as the other guys glared at me too. I never answered Michael's question about who jumped me Friday, but standing next to him, I couldn't help feeling exposed. It was an unwritten rule that greasers didn't eat in the cafeteria: they went out

"She isn't greaser filth, she's a normal girl just like Cherry and Marcia," the girls hung their heads down at his words, appearing to be embarrassed. "So I suggest that you leave miss Curtis alone. I asked her to come eat with me, and I'm not going to let you insult her or scare her away."

I looked at my friend gratefully, and he pecked my cheek, smiling.

I sat next to him, across from Cherry and Marcia, at the end of the table.

"You can have some of my food if you want," Michael nudged his plate toward me, but I shook my head, smiling.

"It's fine, honestly."

He gave me a look, though when he saw that I wouldn't take any of his food or look away, he just sighed.

"You're a stubborn one sweetheart."

But he smiled and kissed my cheek again, letting me know that he was just kidding.

xXxXxX

Eating lunch with the Socs was pretty different compared to with my friends. The boys and the girls were at opposite ends of the table, and had their own conversations. Marcia and Cherry didn't talk to me, nor to each other, and I assumed that it was because they didn't want me to feel left out. I wouldn't have cared, I already felt left out: I was the only greaser as far as I could see, and this obviously didn't go unnoticed. But no one dared to make a move. So I just sat at the table, listening to Michael laugh. Even though I want part of the conversation, it still made me feel warm inside.

"Hey," I glanced up and saw Cherry and Marcia looking at me, "we saw that you don't have a lunch, do you want some of ours?" Cherry handed me an apple and Marcia a pack of animal crackers.

"You don't-"

"It's alright, really," Marcia smiled, and I almost felt like she was my friend. Almost.

"Are you sure?" I asked, uncertain about taking them.

"We wouldn't be offering you the food if we weren't." Cherry pushed the food in front of me, and I knew that I couldn't refuse.

I looked at the apple and crackers, wondering if they did something to them, but they looked normal enough. The girls were looking at me with expecting smiles, and I sighed, reaching into my book bag for my temporary switchblade. Evie let me borrow one of her hers (she could be a nasty fighter when she wanted to) until I could get my own. Cherry and Marcia's eyes widened when they saw it, but I just polished the apple on my skirt and cut it into three pieces, passing two of them to the girls.

"I'm really not hungry, and you two are nice enough to share, I thought that you'd want some..."

"Do you really carry that with you all the time?" Marcia asked, eying the blade and taking one of the pieces.

"Its for protection..." I took a bite of my piece and put the blade away, "in case I get jumped," I explained to their confused looks.

"You get jumped?" Marcia asked, looking shocked.

"I got jumped on Friday, if you want to know the truth..."

_Not that the blade was much help..._

Marcia and Cherry gasped, covering their mouths. "How's it like, getting jumped?"

"Marcia!" Cherry's voice was sharp, and her friend gave her an innocent look, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm curious!"

"It's scary," I told them, "you have no idea what's going to happen to you. If you're lucky, someone's going to come save you, if you're not, you're going to be left off to fend for yourself… I've never actually had to use my blade, but it helps, mostly if you're in a group though."

"If I can ask," Cherry began nervously, "what's the worse that's ever happened to you?"

"It's not something that I really want to talk about…" I said quietly, opening the box of animal crackers. Friday definitely wasn't the worst that had happened to me. I've been beaten up, but I was with friends then.

She apologized quickly, and when I glanced up at her, she really did seem sorry. Her green eyes were soft with pity, so I quickly looked away, not wanting to see it. I hated it when people pitied me, just because I wasn't as fortunate as them didn't mean that I needed their charity.

We finished lunch in silence for the most part, only talking when necessary.

"Do you want me to walk you to class?" Michael asked when the warning bell rang. His friends got up from the table, still talking about football. Holden glared at me when he saw Michael and I, but didn't say anything, and walked away.

"You don't have to," I said, looking at Holden's retreating figure, "I don't want you to be late for class."

"I wouldn't ask if I minded, would I now?" His voice was soft as he offered me his arm, a small pout playing on his lips. I could feel my face heat up and several pairs of eyes on us as I took it, but he ignored them, keeping his eyes on me. "Don't pay attention to them, it's only going to cause you trouble."

xXxXxX

People whispered as Michael walked me to my classroom, but no one shouted out to us or made any rude remarks. I don't remember a greaser and Soc ever getting as close as Michael and I seemed to be getting. Even when Darry was in school, his friends only ever came to our neighborhood to drop him off after football practice, and he only went to their houses for parties. He never went steady with a Soc girl either; Soda and I once overheard him talking to one of his friends from the East side, and he said that the girls' fathers didn't want them dating a poor white. No matter how many academic or athletic achievements he may have had (he was in all the advanced classes, was the Boy of the Year and was captain of the football team), he was still a poor white. The fact that so many people based others solely on how much money they had sickened me. I wondered what Michael's parents would think of me… Maybe out in San Francisco, people thought differently. Maybe his parents wouldn't care that I was poor…

"Here's your class," Michael said, letting go of my arm, "it was great eating lunch with you."

_But we hardly spoke to each other…_

I pushed that thought out of my mind and put on a smile. "Yeah, it was." I decided not to add that I felt really self conscious, and pointed to the classroom. "I guess I should go inside…"

"Of course," he took my hand and raised it to his lips, "how much time do you have before you have to go to work after school?"

"Steve won't wait more than ten minutes," I answered, wondering why he was asking.

"I won't take that long then," he grinned, "have fun in biology!"

I waved once as he ran away, feeling slightly confused. What did he have in mind that couldn't wait until the next day?

Steve was already in the classroom when I entered. His head was bent over his notebook and he appeared to be sketching something. Whatever it was, he seemed to be really concentrated on it, and didn't look up when I set my stuff down. Not that I was surprised, he tended to ignore me most of the time in class, unless it was to look at my notes or ask me for my sharpener.

"Whatcha drawin'?" I put my chin in my hands and looked at him, genuinely curious.

"Tattoo," he didn't look up and continued to scribble for a few seconds, then passed me his notebook, "you like?"

It was a rough sketch of an eagle in flight, its wings raised high and talons open, sharp and menacing. But there was a slight majestic air about it, and I nodded, giving my my approval and passing the notebook back to him. There was a thought at the back of my mind, though I couldn't shake it away.

"You're just sayin' that." A hint of accusation was in his voice, but I shook my head with a laugh.

"No, it's not that…" I hesitated for a few seconds before continuing, "I mean… Is that a symbol for anything?"

He inhaled sharply, but his voice sounded disinterested, and his expression was indifferent when I looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," I said softly, tracing the outline of his drawing, "the eagle… well, the bald eagle… it's the symbol of freedom, at least here. I was wondering if you choose an eagle for the idea it represents…"

"I didn't think that you'd get it so quickly," he put the drawing away and opened his textbook to a random page, "no one got it when I told them what I wanted. Even Walsh…" he paused for a few seconds, staring absently at the page. I was about to flick him when he looked back up at me, the corners of his lips twitching. "That reminds me, you're playin' a dangerous game kid."

"I ain't playing any games."

"Andrews?" he raised his eyebrow, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, "and Shepard? You know how vulnerable you're makin' yourself?"

"I ain't making myself vulnerable," I told him, thinking of what I told Darry after Michael left our house, how I told him that he was exposing us. I tried to think of something to prove Steve wrong. "I… I…"

"You're what?"

"I'm protectin' us!"

He looked surprised, yet impressed at the answer that I gave him. Even I was shocked at my answer, the words slipped out on their own. But I wasn't going to let Steve know that. However, he seemed to know what I was thinking, and looked me in the eyes.

"How exactly would you be doin' that?"

"If Michael and I get… If we start going…" he sensed my uncertainty and waved me on, and I let out a small sigh of relief, "them Socs won't bother you guys anymore. 'Cause if they hurt any of you, they're indirectly hurtin' me." He looked kind of confused, so I continued on. "Remember that one time Dallas and Ti-"

I paused, not wanting to say his name. Steve was still giving me the same confused expression, but a small smirk was making its way to his lips. I clenched my fists, counting backward from ten. "Remember the time when Dallas and his friends picked on that group of middle school Socs?" I asked when I was calm, and he nodded, "then a few days later some older Socs came along and they got into the fight because one of the kids was a younger brother? If Michael and I… get together," I said the words quickly, hoping that he wouldn't notice, but his eyes flashed with an emotion that I couldn't read, and I inwardly cursed myself. "If it happens, you guys are off limits to them. Maybe I can even make them stop botherin' Shep - I mean Jimmy's gang."

"Big dreams kid," he said dryly, flipping through the pages of the textbook.

"Miss Curtis!" I quickly looked up and saw that half the class was looking at me. Miss Brown was standing against the blackboard, her arms crossed, "now that you've stopped talking to mister Randle, maybe you can answer the question for us?"

"I… um… yes ma'am." I had no idea what the class was talking about, until a paper was shoved to me. I quickly glanced up and saw the guy sitting in front of me giving me a thumbs up. I recognized him from the Dingo, he came occasionally and was always pretty nice to me. I smiled at him and looked down at the paper. Number five was circled, and the topic was about evolution. I cleared my throat, and began to read.

_"Name five kinds of evidence that support Darwin's theory of evolution…"_

xXxXxX

People rushed passed me, eager to go home or hoping that they wouldn't be late for work or sports practice, as I waited outside of the school with Evie and Steve. The couple that Evie usually babysat for had decided that they didn't need her anymore, so she had gotten a job at the Dingo with me.

"Kid, if mister Soc isn't here in five minutes, I'm leavin' and you're gonna have to get another ride to the restaurant," Steve said, glancing at his watch.

"He told me that he wouldn't take too long," I told him, bouncing impatiently and looking around, hoping to see Michael.

"Hey pretty lady," a warm voice said to my right. I turned around and saw Michael's large figure, and couldn't help smiling, "glad to see that you waited."

"You told me that you had something to tell me," I said shyly, smiling.

"I do…" He coughed and looked around, scratching the back of his head. "I just wanted to apologize about Josh's behavior during lunch… He's a really cool guy to be with once you get to know him. Just… Thanks for putting up with them."

"You don't need to apologize…" It was still sweet that he was though, and I couldn't help but smile, even if I really didn't like his friends.

"Yes I do," he said, "I promise that I won't let them bother you. Or your friends…" He was silent for a couple of seconds, then leaned down and pressed his lips to my cheek. "I've got to get to practice, but I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun at work."

"Have fun at practice," I watched him run off toward the football field and sighed.

"Looks like it's getting pretty serious between you two," Evie noted, "how long has it been? Two weeks?"

"Something like that," I answered with a grin, "I'm ready to leave now Steven."

He huffed at the use of his real name, but Evie and I laughed, and she grabbed his hand, pressing her lips to his cheek.

xXxXxX

The afternoon was kind of slow, so while Evie was talking to some girls in a booth, I was drinking a chocolate strawberry milkshake, not really feeling like talking. The Supremes' _You Can't Hurry Love_ was playing, and I hummed along to the lyrics. I loved Diana Ross's voice, and she was really pretty too. I wished that I could sing like her.

A loud bang brought me out of my thoughts, and I looked at the door, ready to call the boss if it was someone who would cause trouble. But it was only Angela, and I felt like going over and hitting her over the head because she was so loud.

"One vanilla malt shake, make it quick," she sat down next to me, smacking her ever present chewing gum.

"You'd best act more polite, or you ain't gonna get shit in life," I told her, going behind the counter to prepare her drink, "and that's going to be twenty five cents."

She ignored my first comment and slapped a few coins on the counter, looking around. "There's not a lot of people here."

"It's Monday afternoon, where do you think everyone is?" I asked, taking the money, "by the way, where's Douglas?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "probably out with Jennings doing whatever they do. As long as he isn't with another girl I don't really care."

I nodded, not adding anything. I can safely say that Angela has never loved anyone before, but she got extremely possessive whenever she was dating someone. Once she got into a really bad fight in a dance club because the boy that she was dating was making out with another girl. Her brothers had to come in and separate her from the guy and other girl. Despite her tough girl exterior, deep inside she was really soft and just simply scared. She grew up in a really bad neighborhood, and with her two older brothers being involved in gangs at young ages, she was exposed to violence, and had to adapt to the environment that she was living in.

I handed her her malt shake and sat next to her again, taking a sip from my own drink. I wanted to ask her what happened after Tim came home, but didn't want to talk about the boy who was my first kiss. Angela beat me to that topic though, but she didn't talk about what happened Friday.

"Tim was awfully pissed at lunch," she said, "he ain't used to people talking to him like that, especially girls."

"You know what you can tell him?" I asked, biting my straw, "you can tell him to leave me alone unless I specifically ask to talk to him."

"Man, and I thought that you couldn't get enough of him."

"Well I've had enough of him for a while," I said, crossing my arms, even though I knew that it was a total lie. It hurt me so much to yell at him that morning, and the honest truth was that I still didn't know whether Michael or him would be a better choice for me. Hopefully the dinner date at Michael's would help me decide who I liked best.

I was still debating who would be best for me after Angela left, and after I finished washing the dishes. It was still relatively warm, so I went on the roof to think. I did that a lot when I really needed to think. It was harder to get on than the tree in the backyard, so less people could come up and bother me.

"Hey Kitty Kat," Soda said, sitting next to me and wrapping an arm around my waist, "you seem to be thinkin' hard about somethin'."

"Yeah," I sighed, "I guess I am."

"Well, what is it?" he laughed, "I'm not your brother for nothing."

I was silent for a few seconds, wondering if I should tell him what really was bothering me or just say that something happened at school. Soda solved the problem though, and put his hand under my chin to make me look at him. "It's the boys, isn't it?"

"You know me too well."

"What's bothering you about them?"

"I don't know who I like better… This morning-"

"You got into a fight with Shepard," he interrupted, "some of the girls at the DX were talking about it."

"I just feel terrible about it, ya dig?" he nodded, and motioned for me to go on, "and lunch was just really awkward. I spent it with Michael and it was way different from eating lunch with Steve and Two-Bit and Pony and Johnny and the girls! With them we actually laugh and talk together, but with the Socs it's boys on one side and girls on the other. When Michael asked if we could eat lunch together I thought that we would actually be talkin'…"

"This is probably a bad time to mention it," Soda started, seeming to carefully choose his words, "but you and Andrews… People are already talking about you guys. A greaser and a Soc gettin' close is something that never happens"

I groaned, putting my face in my hands. "You can't be serious…" I brought my legs up and wrapped my arms around them, resting my chin on my knees. "I wish that Mom and Dad were still alive… Maybe they would help me with all of this…"

Tears pricked my eyes as I said their names, and Soda got behind me, put his arms around my waist and his chin on my shoulder, stroking my hair. "I wish that they were still here too honey, but there ain't anything that we can do…"

"I miss them Pepsi," I sniffled, wiping my eyes.

He didn't reply, only squeezed me tighter. We stayed in the same position for a while, even after the sun went down. We didn't talk, but it was okay with me, because I was thinking about my parents and Tim and Michael, though my thoughts revolved mostly around the latter. With his deep, sea green eyes, short but somewhat messy dirty blond hair, tall figure, good build, and easy going personality, it was easy to be attracted to him, even if we were from different sides of the tracks. Would I have ever fallen for Tim if my parents didn't die? I would forget about Tim, I told myself, leaning back onto Soda's chest, I don't need him.


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm feeling really good about this chapter, and I hope that you like it too! I know a lot of you love Tim, and don't worry, he'll be back (: Thanks a ton, again, to Entangler, for reading through it before, and all those who leave reviews, subscribe, and perhaps are silent readers haha. I truly appreciate anything you have to say (:  
************I do not own _The Outsiders._**

* * *

The pre-date ritual was something that I wasn't quite familiar with, and I couldn't honestly say that I enjoyed it. Dally hadn't taken me out on many dinner dates when we were together, and when we did go out to eat it was always some place on the Ribbon, and so I never had to worry much about the way I was dressed. My relationship with Dally was sort of an accident, to some extent. Our relationship had been hovering on the edge of really close friends and being together for a while, and one day he kissed me out of the blue, and it just kind of went on from there. We dated for about five months until we broke up because I didn't want to have sex, among other reasons. But during that time, he had never taken me out on an actual date. Neither had the other guys who expressed interest in me. That fact was something that I tried to hide from most people, it was kind of embarrassing that at seventeen years old, I had not been out on a date.

Thankfully, Evie and Kathy were there to help me after I got out of the shower. For an hour they went through my closet and looked for a dress for me to wear, while I sat on my bed, my hair up in Pepsi cans, resisting the urge to pick up my cigarettes. They eventually chose a dark blue shirtwaist dress with matching gloves and a white belt, then began to take out the cans.

"Oh, your hair is so bouncy!" Kathy squealed once all the cans were out and lying in a pile on my vanity. "You should really do that more often!"

"Sleeping with a bunch of soda cans in my hair doesn't sound like fun," I told her, beginning to put on my makeup.

"You get used to it!" Evie said brightly. "After a few nights it becomes natural."

"Looking pretty sure takes a lot of effort," I said, then cursed as I stuck my mascara brush in my eye.

Another twenty minutes passed, and I was finally ready. Man, I was so glad that I didn't have to do all that stuff every day.

"Skirt length check!" I rolled my eyes but knelt, and Evie gave me a satisfied smile when my dress touched the floor. "Before you go out, a few more tips-"

"Katherine?" Darry knocked on the door but Evie told him that he couldn't come in yet. "Fine. Michael called and said that he's just leaving, so he's going to be here in about twenty minutes."

"Oh good God," I muttered, hitting my head against the wall after I thanked Darry for telling me. "I don't think that I'm ready for this."

"Nonsense!" Kathy scoffed. "Just listen to our tips and you'll be fine. First of all, no swearing-"

"No smoking, even if he does offer you a cigarette."

"But he's never-" I started before Kathy waved me off.

"Keep your answers short, you don't want to bore them."

"They're going to ask a lot about you, so probably about your future plans too. Just say that you're undecided."

"And don't respond to any of his advances or kiss him."

I visibly colored at those words, and Evie hit her head.

"Katherine, you didn't-"

"He's the one who kissed me, alright?" I said, interrupting Kathy, "and honestly, I don't plan on kissing him again for a while."

"Was he really that bad of a kisser?" Evie asked, eyes wide.

"Imagine Roxie kissing you."

"Ugh!" She seemed shocked at the comparison. "Well, you'll know not to kiss him tonight then."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine," Kathy reassured me, "come on, let's go out."

"Man, my sister's sure is lookin' fine tonight!" Soda grinned when I arrived in the living room with my friends behind me.

"You do look nice kid," Steve said, trying not to smile as he got up from the couch and wrapped his arm around Evie's waist, "but not as pretty as my lady here."

"No, Kat's the prettiest out of all of us," Evie winked at me as she said that, and I couldn't help but blush, "Michael won't be able to resist her."

"He better be able to resist her because he is not laying a hand on my baby sister," Darry said, coming into the room and taking me by the waist, spinning me around, "hey Ponyboy, what are you doing tonight?"

"I… I don't know, why?" My younger brother asked, looking up from his book from his spot on the couch.

"No way!" Soda yelled before Darry could answer, "you got yourself a date with Victoria?"

He tried to deny it, but his red cheeks betrayed him and we all cheered, and Soda pat him on the back, congratulating him.

"I guess I'll go see a movie with Johnny and Curly Shepard or somethin'," Pony said when we calmed down. My heart skipped a beat as he said the younger Shepard's name, but I almost let out a scream when the doorbell rang.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god."

I was shaking and Evie must have noticed this, because she hit me on the back, putting her finger to her lips as Darry opened the door. Michael was standing on our front porch dressed in a dark jacket and pants with a white dress shirt. He was holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand, then held the other out to Darry when he noticed the door was open.

"Wow," Kathy whispered, "he's classy. Two-Bit never came to my house with flowers."

"Guess that means I'm classy too," Soda joked, "I used to bring Sandy flowers all the time."

"Key word is used to," I giggled, "you don't do that anymore."

"I give her something better than flowers," he winked, and the rest of us groaned. "Oh come on, y'all do it too!"

"Hey sweetheart," Michael said with a smile, "hi guys."

My friends muttered 'hellos' and Pony and the girls waved, while Steve and Soda tried not to glare too much at him.

"I brought these for you." He held out the bouquet, and I saw that the flowers were dark red roses and white violets. I took them from him, feeling my cheeks heating up.

"You didn't have to Michael," I told him, but was unable to keep myself from smiling.

"Anything for you," he said, taking my hand and kissing it gently.

"I'll just go put these in a vase and we can leave."

I went to the kitchen, and was vaguely aware of the fact that someone else was with me as I filled the vase up with water. Soda was leaning against the countertop, his arms crossed and biting the inside of his cheek.

"There's something off about him," he told me quietly as I set the vase on the dining room table, "I mean bringin' flowers on the first date? That's a silent way of sayin' 'I like you, please go out with me'. He's desperate Kat."

"You're just bein' paranoid," I said, turning to face him. "I mean, okay the flowers, the roses especially, do seem a bit much, but it is a sweet gesture…"

"I don't want you to get hurt." His voice was soft, and I took his hand, squeezing it gently.

"I can watch out for myself Pepsi, I'm a big girl now."

"You'll always be my baby sister," he said softly, "even if we are twins. Promise me you'll be careful and tell me if he hurts you?"

I promised and kissed his cheek. "I've got to go now, I don't want to keep his parents waiting."

"I'll leave with you, Sandy should be ready by now. We're going to the races then cruise the Ribbon for a bit. Two-Bit's going to meet us at the tracks."

"Tell him I say hi, alright?"

"Will do baby," he grinned, kissing me on the cheek as we walked to the living room, "be good to her," he told Michael, handing my hand to him, trying not to sound too rough.

"No need to worry about that, she's going to be safe with me."

He shook Darry's hand and wished him a good evening, then led me out to his car after I said bye to my friends, opening the door for me. I thanked him with a smile and wondered if I should get closer to him or stay by the door. The decision was made for me after he drove off the street and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"I'm not going to bite you Katherine, you can sit closer," he laughed, his eyes twinkling. I scooted closer to him, lying my head on his shoulder. "How was your week?"

I sat with Michael two more times that week, until one night when I was doing my essay Ponyboy came into my room and asked me if I could eat lunch with him and the gang, because apparently lunch wasn't the same without me. Tim was at the small store we were at, and according to Evie he was there the previous days in hopes of seeing me. I ignored him though, and he didn't come to talk to me, although I saw him sneak glances at me as he spoke with Two-Bit and Jimmy.

I wouldn't admit to anyone, especially Michael, but eating lunch with my friends was a billion times better than eating lunch with Michael and his friends. I didn't have to worry about speaking out of turn and I could be myself. The girls and I sat on the hoods of Steve and Two-Bit's cars and smoked and gossiped, sometimes talking to the boys or calling out to other friends. I felt much happier Thursday and Friday because I didn't eat in what was basically enemy territory, and I didn't have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach or have to be constantly on guard.

When I wasn't with Michael, Socs would call out rude things to me, while the greasers would just stare at me. I couldn't exactly say that it was the best week I've had so far, but I've had worse.

"It was alright," I answered, glancing out the window, "yours?"

"Coach Davis is one tough man," he said, slowing the car as we came to a red light, "ex Army officer… He really pushes us to be our best. I think we have a good chance of winning the football game, it's in two weeks you know."

"I bet you guys are going to do great," I smiled, looking up at him.

"He mentioned your brother a few times."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He glanced out the window and saw a group of guys doing a Chinese fire drill. One of the girls laughed as she tripped over running to the other side of the car, and I almost laughed too until I noticed Michael roll his eyes. "Idiots," he muttered as the light turned green, "yeah, Davis mentioned Darry a few times. Said that he was the best captain and liner back he's seen in years."

I grinned, proud of my oldest brother. I remembered Coach Davis: tall and menacing, and hardly ever showed a soft side unless it was after the team won a game. If the team lost one, he pushed them harder at practice, and a couple of times Darry came home close to tears and a pulled muscle because of how hard Davis pushed them.

We chatted about small things for the rest of the ride until we got to the West side, and I grew quiet and looked out the windows. I've only been in that part of town once with the girls, Soda, Two-Bit, Steve, Dally and the Shepard gang, last Halloween when we egged some of the big time Socs' houses. They called the cops on us, and we managed to escape, save for Curly Shepard and Jimmy.

The houses were large, most were one or two stories, some even three stories high. They were painted bright colors, and there wasn't any trace of dirt on them, and none seemed to be falling apart. Sport cars were gleaming in the driveways, and kids were playing on the large, weedless yards, swinging from their tire swings or playing with dolls or toy trucks. Some were racing on their shiny bikes on the street, and waved to Michael as he drove down the street.

He eventually pulled up in front of a two story house with a one car garage, and a good sized lawn with a large oak tree. I couldn't help but feel just the slightest bit angry knowing that he lived comfortably and didn't have to worry about whether he'd have enough money to get by with the month, but before I could fully process my emotions, he opened my door and held out his hand.

"So this is my home," he said, showing it to me and grinning, "my parents are waiting."

He led me up the small stone path and opened the front door. "Mother, Father, Katherine and I are home!"

A tall, thin woman with bright blond hair held up in a ponytail and wearing a light blue dress with a lacy white apron over it came out of the kitchen, smiling.

"Oh, it's so nice to finally be able to meet you Katherine," she said, taking me and air kissing me, "I'm Louise Andrews, Michael's mother. He's said so much about you! Do you want any refreshments before dinner?"

"Don't trouble yourself Mrs. Andrews," I told her before she shook her head.

"It's none at all! I have iced tea, water, coffee… Or I can brew some tea if you want."

"Iced tea is good, thank you."

"And for you Michael?"

"I'll have the same as Katherine," he said, smiling, "where's Father?"

"In the living room watching the news I think," she answered, "they won't stop talking about the war, I think that it's absolute nonsense and perfectly horrid. In fact, Mrs. Baker was telling me the other day about how her son was watching television with his friends, and then right in the middle of the show they started showing footage of all the soldiers… It's just terrible. But I'll leave that for the men in Washington to solve, as long as you don't get drafted I'm not concerned."

Michael gave me an apologetic look, but hugged his mother. "You don't have to worry about me Mother, I'm going to college. We'll be sitting with Father now."

The draft. I gulped and tried to keep a straight face. Soda, Steve and Dally would all be eligible for it as soon as they turned eighteen. Jimmy told me they drafted from oldest to youngest, so our boys would be safe for a few years. People kept saying that by Christmas the war would be over, but judging by the number of troops Johnson was sending, all it looked like to me was that it was getting more serious.

"So this is the young lady Michael has been talking about!"

Michael's father rose from the armchair and gave me a wide smile identical to Michael's. He had dark brown hair and the same sea green eyes as his son. He was well built, and was wearing a suit with no creases, and my first thought was that he was a no nonsense kind of man, despite his smile and kind eyes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Katherine," he said, shaking my hand, "I'm Jonathan Andrews."

"It's nice to meet you too mister Andrews," I said shyly, "how do you do?"

"I'm good, very good. I just watched a broadcast of the war in Vietnam, and I'm just appalled. If I were President Johnson, I would have sent in more troops much longer ago. But this isn't appropriate conversation, how are you Katherine? Please, have a seat."

"I'm very well, thank you," I answered, sitting on the couch and taking my gloves off, tucking them into my dress pocket.

"Here's your iced tea, and coffee for you dear." Mrs. Andrews came out of the kitchen with the drinks on a tray, then handed the glasses to us. I thanked her and took a sip of the drink.

"So how did you two meet again?" Michael's father asked, setting down his coffee.

I glanced at Michael, knowing that he told his parents about how he met me, but he didn't look at me, just took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"We met for the first time at the restaurant that I'm a waitress at," I told them, "and officially on the first day of school. We're in a couple of classes together."

"And what classes do you take?"

"I take advanced English, Sociology, French, world history, biology and math."

"No home economics?" Michael's mother asked, looking a bit shocked.

I could feel myself blushing as I told her no, that I took a year of it was planning on taking it again the next quarter.

"Oh, that's good," she smiled, "every woman has to know how to cook."

"I've known how to cook since I was a young girl ma'am," I told her, "I used to help my parents in the kitchen."

"Parents?" she asked, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"My father was big on family time," I answered, "every Friday or Saturday night the whole family would cook dinner together. Both of my parents could cook just as well as the other."

"So you're close to your parents?" Michael's father asked.

I had to stop myself from turning to Michael and demanding what he had told his parents about me. They didn't know how we met and they didn't know that my parents were dead.

"My parents passed away sir," I said, lowering my eyes and trying to keep my emotions in check," they've been gone for nine months now."

"Oh right, Michael told us!" Mrs. Andrews exclaimed. "We're so sorry dear, we completely forgot."

"It's all right."

"What did your parents do for a living?" Mr. Andrews asked, crossing his legs.

"Papa built houses, and Mama was a homemaker, but she worked as a secretary downtown for a few years when things were really rough for us."

They asked me a bit more about my parents and how my brothers were like. I was happy that they didn't seem too shocked by the fact that I was from a working class family, or that my brothers and I weren't the cleanest siblings on the block, but they could have just been polite.

After an hour or so of talking about my family and me, and Michael's mom getting up every so often to check on dinner, it was ready, and we moved out to the backyard because the sun still didn't set. There was a circular table covered with a white linen tablecloth, and dishes and silverware Mama always dreamed of having. Michael pulled my chair out for me with a smile, then sat on the one to my left.

"Have as much food as you want, there's more than enough," Michael's mother said, setting down a bowl of rice on the table.

"Can I serve you?" Mr. Andrews asked, and I nodded, handing him my plate and thanking him.

I waited a while before asking them about when they lived in San Francisco. They lived in Seattle before, and relocated to Tulsa after seven years of living in San Francisco because of Michael's father's job as a doctor. Both of Michael's parents eagerly agreed that Tulsa had a much better and cleaner aura to it than San Francisco.

"Those hippies have started to appear a lot, especially this past year," Michael's father said, leaning back in his chair and pushing his plate away from him, "and Louise and I decided it wasn't healthy for Michael. The whole lot of them are dirty, every one of them has at least five diseases due to, excuse me, having unprotected sexual intercourse all the damn time, and they weren't even married, and living in despicable conditions."

"Well, besides that, they weren't that bad-" Michael started before his father interrupted him.

"Not that bad? Son, have you seen them burning their draft notices? No American man should refuse to fight for his country if he is called. Of course, if you get drafted, you'll get a deferment, but if I find out you're going out and burning your notice, I don't care if you're my son, but I'm sending you straight to prison. I fought for two years in the Pacific, and I did my job damn well. I didn't, at any time, complain about serving my country."

"Darling, calm down," Mrs. Andrews said, putting her arm on her husband's shoulder, "our Michael has his head on his shoulders, he won't go out and do whatever those young people do."

She got up and began to clear the table, and I quickly noticed quickly that Michael and his father didn't get up to help her. Michael gave me an apologetic smile, and I quickly returned it before getting up too.

"Do you need any help Mrs. Andrews?"

"No, don't worry about it," she laughed, "just stay where you are. I'll be out with dessert in five minutes. Do you like apple pie?"

"Yes, ma'am, I love it."

Over dessert, Michael's father asked me what my father's view on the military was, and I told him about the two years that he served in the Army at the front in Germany. He didn't think much of the Vietnam War, he just hoped it would end before one of my brothers or their friends got drafted.

"I want to show Katherine my room, is that okay?" Michael asked, getting up.

"Leave the door open son," his dad said, "do whatever you, just keep it suit-"

"Okay, we'll be going up now," Michael interrupted, grabbing my hand.

"Thanks for the dinner Mrs. Andrews!" I called before Michael pulled me into the house.

We made our way up the stairs then stopped outside the first bedroom to the left. The first thing I noticed was that it was much larger than mine. The walls were covered with college football posters and flags, the most prominent one being Stanford, and a couple of the University of Tulsa. There were some pictures near his bed, and when I got closer I saw that they were of him and his football and baseball teams. Some trophies and medals were on a shelf and there was a bookshelf next to it. There was a large window that faced east and looked out into his garden. But there was a smell that hung in the air, kind of pungent, I can't really describe it.

"Nice room," I said, looking back at him, "but uh..."

"The smell?" he suggested with a laugh. "Yeah, it's been there since we moved in, we've gotten the room cleaned and stuff but it just won't leave. You get used to it after a while though. I would use incense but my parents don't like it, reminds them too much of the hippies." He crossed the room and opened the window, then sat on his bed, patting the spot next to him. "What do you think of my parents?"

"They're… strong minded…" I said, hoping not to offend him, and he just sighed, "but they're really nice, not like a lot of Socy parents I used to know…"

"I hope they didn't offend you with their questions."

"How much did they know about me before I arrived?"

"I told them everything you told me. But they asked you to see if I was lying or making you sound better than you are. They didn't approve at first of you being from a working class family, but I think they like you, especially since you're in a couple of higher level classes and seem ambitious. And I'm sorry about my mother when she asked if you took home economics or not, she's really into the whole homemaker thing."

"I figured," I said, resting my head against his shoulder, "it's all right."

We spoke for a while about our lives, how my parents used to take us to the countryside every couple of weeks, or how he and his friends went hiking in the redwood forests about an hour away from where he lived, and everything in between.

"Have you ever beaten anyone up?" I asked, looking up at him from his lap.

"Back at home my friends and I sometimes would, but only if they provoked us first. I don't get what the huge deal over here is with us Socs beating up you greasers and vice versa."

"It's always been like that," I said, "even when Papa-"

"Michael, darl - oh, sorry!" Mrs. Andrews appeared in the doorway, and I quickly sat up, removing my head from Michael's lap, "I hope I wasn't-"

"Mother," Michael ran his fingers over the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes, "you know how I feel about that stuff."

I scooted away from Michael, feeling weird about having gotten caught in an awkward position.

"Okay, well I just wanted to remind you that you're supposed to bring Katherine home soon."

"What time is it?"

"Just a bit after ten."

"Oh man, I should get going then!" Michael offered me his hand and I took it, then we went downstairs, his mother following us.

"Thanks a lot for having me over," I told his parents, shaking his dad's hand and hugging his mom, "the dinner was really good Mrs. Andrews."

"It was a pleasure meeting you Katherine," his dad said, "would it be too much to ask you and your brothers over next Friday or Saturday?"

"I'd have to ask Darry, it depends if he's working or not, but I think I might be able to come."

"Well, tell Michael if you can, we look forward to seeing you again," his mom smiled, "drive safely honey."

"I always do Mother," he said with a good natured grin, "I'll be back soon."

Michael opened the car door for me again, and I waved to his parents as we drove away.

xXxXxX

"Well, you're home," he said, killing the engine. The porch light was still on, and light filtered through the living room curtains. He quickly got out of the car and before I could open the door he did so for me, laughing at my shocked expression. "Don't need to look like that sweetheart, it's my job."

"It's not your job to do anything," I said, "it's just manners… But literally every time this whole evening you've been opening doors for me and - oh, really?"

He opened the front gate for me and motioned for me to walk through, but I shook my head with a giggle and pushed him through. Laughing, he picked me up bridal style and walked me up to the front door, then set me down.

"I had fun with you tonight," he smiled, "I really hope you and your brothers can come over next week."

"I hope so too…"

There was silence for a couple of seconds, then he leaned in, closing his eyes. I remembered Evie's words and quickly turned my head. As I did that, his lips touched my cheek for a brief second before he pulled away.

"Katherine…?"

"I've never been in a real relationship," I told him quietly, "I don't want to rush things…"

"Okay, I get it. Well, I'll call you, alright? Actually, if Darry's home I want to talk to him just a bit."

"Sounds good," I smiled, before putting my hand on the doorknob and turning it.

"Wait just a goddamn second!" Soda yelled before I could fully open the door. I quickly gave an apologetic look to Michael, but he just shrugged it off with a grin. After a couple of seconds Soda opened the door, his hair a mess and his shirt put on inside out, with Sandy next to him, her lipstick slightly smeared. I could feel Michael stiffen for a second before relaxing again, and Sandy's eyes widened when she saw us. I just gave Soda a quick wink and he grinned at me, wrapping his arm around Sandy's waist.

"Hi guys, fun evening?"

"Pretty fun," I answered, "yours?"

"Two-Bit almost lost his car to the guy he was racin', but he didn't and won himself twenty bucks. Oh, and he said hey."

"Is Darry home?" Michael asked.

"He ain't back yet, but he's supposed supposed to be home in half an hour or somethin'."

"I guess I'll talk to him another time," Michael said, "I'll see you Monday Katherine, Sandy."

"Wait, can I get a ride home?" Sandy asked.

"Baby, I was going to walk you home!"

"I don't want you walking back alone," she said in a soft voice, "it's dangerous."

"But I have my-"

"I can take her, it's on my way,," Michael grinned, but Soda glared at him, "don't worry, I won't do anything!"

My brother bit his lip, then pulled Sandy close to him and whispered something in her ear. In response she cupped his face and kissed him.

"I love you Soda."

Even under the dim light, I could see my twin's ears redden as he whispered the words to her, his eyes gleaming. Michael took my hand and kissed it, then walked over to his car with Sandy. Before she stepped in, she blew a kiss to my brother and waved, smiling.

"Man," Soda said, leaning against the doorframe, "I love her so much." He looked at the street for a few more seconds then back at me. "Come on, let's get inside."

"I hope I didn't interrupt you," I teased, lying down on the couch, crossing my legs.

"Let's just say that if you came in, it would have been a really awkward situation for both of us," he laughed, trying to fix his hair. "How was dinner? And the parents?"

I began to tell him everything, from how the neighborhood was, to how his parents were and what we talked about, to how Michael acted, hoping to dissuade Soda from having any more bad thoughts about him.

I was in the middle of telling him about all the trophies in his room when the door opened, revealing our younger brother, Curly Shepard and Johnny, all three looking in terrible shape.

"What happened?" Soda and I got up hastily and made them sit down.

"Socs," Curly said stiffly, wiping his bleeding nose. "A whole car full of them came and started beating us until the cops showed, and we ran off."

My conversation with Steve during biology rang through my mind, but I quickly shook my head. "I'll go get the first aid kit."

"Hey, you're tremblin'," Soda said when I set the kit on the coffee table, "don't worry about it, I'll take care of them."

"It'll be faster if we both do it," I told him, trying not to spill the rubbing alcohol.

"I'm fine, I don't need to be cleaned up," Johnny said, taking off his jacket.

"Baby, you have a black eye and a busted lip! We have ice, it'll help with the swelling."

"Kat-"

"Johnny, she knows what she's sayin'," Soda said, cleaning up a cut on Pony's arm, "go get some."

He sighed but got up, and I made my way to the younger Shepard. He was sitting on the armchair, holding a napkin to his nose and trying to stop his busted knuckles from bleeding everywhere.

"Lay down," I said softly, "it'll stop the blood flow."

"I'm fine."

"Can I at least clean up your other wounds? They're going to get infected otherwise..."

"I'll take the bus home when my nose stops bleedin' and clean them up there."

"You're just as stubborn as your brother..."

His eyes widened for a second, but he got off the armchair and laid on his back, holding his hands out to me. I took one and began to clean the blood off, ignoring his sharp intakes of breath and only stopping when he would grip my hand tightly. I could hardly hear the others laughing at Soda's jokes as he tried to lighten the mood.

"Hey."

I looked down at him, setting down the bottle of alcohol. His face was shiny with sweat, his hair was greased back in an attempt to tame his dark, wavy locks, his dark blue eyes, identical to his brother's, were soft, and his lips were curled into a sort of half smile. He sat up, and I grabbed the gauze from the table and begun to patch up his knuckles.

"Tim misses ya a lot."

I didn't say anything; I kept my eyes on his hands.

"He really does." His voice was soft, and he tried to get me to look at him by putting his hand under my chin, but I swatted it away, biting my lip. "You're the only gal he's felt this way about."

"Why doesn't he grow a pair and tell me himself then?"

"He don't work that way," he said, holding out his other hand, "he doesn't want ya to get hurt."

"He said that?" I asked, pulling on the gauze harder than I should have. "That's real funny, because he's the last guy to hurt me."

"He didn't mean it."

"I ain't gonna talk to him 'til he realizes I ain't gonna go to him, and even then…"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I still cared about Tim. But he didn't tell me how he felt, and Michael did… I looked at Pony and Johnny, then Curly again. Black eyes, busted lips and knuckles, cuts up and down their arms… If dating Michael meant that the Socs had to stop jumping my family and friends, then I'd do it. Anything to make life somewhat easier for us…

"You're all good." I dropped Curly's hand and got up, stretching.

"Thanks." He ran his fingers over the bandages, then got up too. "I guess I'm gonna head home now."

"No you ain't," Soda said, closing the first aid kit, "and you're goin' nowhere Johnny Cade," he told our friend who got up and headed toward the door. "Y'all are stayin' tonight, it's too late to head out now."

"Aw, I'll be safe man!"

"With the way you are, you ain't goin' anywhere."

"I ain't hurt too bad, I can walk home," Johnny said, sticking his hands in his pockets, "I think my parents might be asleep anyway."

I rolled my eyes as Soda started to talk the two boys out of leaving, then went to the hallway closet and got out a couple of blankets, and dropped them on the coffee table. Both Curly and Johnny eyed them, and I noticed the former's twitching.

"I'm only going to say this once, but you guys are stayin' over whether you want to or not. I don't care if you don't stay over for breakfast, but I'm not letting you walk back home alone. 'Night."

xXxXxX

"I shoulda taken some of your coffee," Two-Bit moaned as we stepped out of Steve's car, "my head's killin' me."

"Jesus Christ Two-Bit, shut up already," Steve snapped, "you've been goin' on about that since we got into the car."

"Who cares about that now? I see trouble..." Ponyboy said quietly, reaching into his pocket and pointing with his other hand. We looked where he was pointing, and the boys instinctively put themselves in front of the girls and I. As the Socs came closer, I recognized them from Michael's lunch table, and I grabbed Evie's hand, squeezing it.

"What do you want?" Steve demanded when they stopped, "we didn't do nothin' to you."

"We want to talk to the girl," Sheldon said, pointing to me.

"You can talk to me in front of them!" My heart was pounding as I pushed passed the boys, but Two-Bit grabbed on to the back of my cardigan and pulled me back, clutching my hand.

"Alright, well we just want to remind you of one small thing," he said, stepping closer, and Two-Bit held onto my hand tighter, his nails digging into my skin. "Stay the _fuck_ away from Andrews. He doesn't need your-"

"Fuck off Sheldon," Two-Bit snarled, "Andrews obviously likes her enough, and he's the one who talked to her first, so if you want her to back off, I think you should go tell him to stop talkin' to her."

"You little shit, don't talk to me like that!" he spat in contempt. He grabbed my arm and roughly shoved me sideways before clenching his fists and smacking Two-Bit square in the nose with such force that my friend stumbled backwards in a daze. Seeing Two-Bit's nose gush with blood, I gave an ear-piercing screech as I pounced onto Sheldon's back, gripping him tightly with one hand and walloping him in the side of the head with the other.

"Leave my friends the fuck alone!" I screamed as he swung me around on his back, trying shake and pull me off him.

"Get the fuck off me bitch!" he screamed back, finally managing to successfully throw me to the ground.

He staunchly towered over me, rubbing his hand in his fist as I lay at his feet, nervously staring up at the rough, boorish bastard.

"What the fuck is going on?" Evie pulled me to my feet, brushing the dirt off me. I looked up and saw Michael, who was glaring at me and Sheldon. "Seriously, what the hell?"

"Why are you even botherin' with her?" Josh Holden yelled, "she's a greaser!"

"She's nice alright? They're not all brainless little shits or whores-"

"Do you know what's she's done? She slept around-"

"That ain't none of your business!" I screamed, trying not to throw myself on him.

"You know what Josh, she's right, that isn't any of your business. And you know what else? This is for all of you," he added, anger burning in his eyes, then turned to me, "she's my girl, and her and her friends are off limits to you."

"She's - what?"

Everyone looked shocked, and turned from me to him. Two-Bit looked like he got punched in the gut, Steve had his usual sour look, Ponyboy and Johnny were looking at me in disbelief. Sandy was staring anywhere but at anyone, and Kathy and Evie looked like they were trying to suppress smiles.

"I'm sorry Katherine, I wanted to ask you during lunch, but I guess the moment came earlier than I thought." He took off his ring and held it out to me. "Will you be my girl?"

I could feel myself turning a hundred shades of red, and tried to form a coherent sentence.

"I can't believe this!" Sheldon threw his hands in the air, "you're fucking crazy man. Do want you want, but you're makin' a huge mistake. You'll see in a couple of weeks that she's no good, and maybe you'll find a decent girl, if anyone would be willing to go with you after all this."

They proceeded to walk away, and I looked down at my shoes.

"We'll uh… go inside now," Kathy said, squeezing my hand gently before going away. Pony and Johnny gave me sympathetic hugs before following the rest.

"Katherine?" I looked up at Michael, my face still burning, "do you want-"

"I don't want to cause any trouble for you," I told him quickly, playing with a loose thread on the sleeve of my shirt "I really do like you more than anyone else I've ever met but I don't to hurt any of us…"

"They'll leave you alone," he said softly, "I promise I won't let them hurt you."

I smiled and took the ring from him, then attached it to a keychain on my book bag. "It'll be around my neck tomorrow."

"I look forward to seeing it there," he smiled, taking my hand, "let's go inside."

xXxXxX

People stared at us all day, and a few made comments. Not surprisingly, Jimmy and Steve ignored me, but to my surprise, Two-Bit was acting kind of cold towards me. I shrugged it off, and made a mental note to talk to him. To escape from everyone, Michael and I ate lunch under the bleachers, because he would be heading straight to football practice after school. By the time I left school, the facts that he had given me his ring and I attacked one of the football players were all over school, and I couldn't go anywhere without anyone whispered as I passed by.

"I hear you're datin' that Soc guy," Peggy Collins, one of the waitresses at the Dingo, said, helping me clear a table. Her cherry red lipstick matched her hair, which was up in a pompadour. Colorful makeup defined her eyes, and her eyelashes were highly caked with mascara. She was still really pretty, and could charm anyone with her ever present smile. At the moment though, I wasn't in the mood to talk about Michael.

"He just asked me to be his girl this mornin'…"

"Still, when was the last time a Soc and a greaser went steady?" I didn't answer and she let out a giggle. "Exactly."

"Peggy," I sighed, trying not to drop the stack of plates I was holding. "I don't want to talk about it. I've got enough people on my ass about that, not to mention the fact I jumped on and hit one of the guys on the football team."

"I've got to admit, that was pretty bad ass. People will be rememberin' that for a while."

"Goody," I muttered, trying not to roll my eyes.

"Nice one Curtis," the busboy said, taking our dishes, "I saw ya hit Sheldon this mornin'. Don't see why you took Andrews's ring though, Shepard's had his eye on ya for a while."

"Mention that again and you'll be the next one I hit," I snapped, "I've heard enough of all those comments to last me until I graduate from college."

xXxXxX

Whenever I turned my back after picking up an order or I passed by with food, I could hear the people whispering behind me. I almost cheered when my shift ended, and got into Steve's car with Evie: at least there I didn't have to worry about people looking at me.

"Stevie boy told me about ya jumpin' Sheldon," Soda laughed, punching me in the arm, but I just huffed and crossed my arms, looking out the window. Evie quietly told him that I didn't want to talk about it, and he tried to apologize, eventually giving up when I ignored him.

After dropping Evie off at her house, Steve drove Soda and I home, and I followed them through the front door, still somewhat angry. I hardly put down my book back when Darry came into the living room from the kitchen, wiping his hands on his jeans.

"I don't know whether I should be happy you and Michael are going steady, or angry that you jumped a football player…"

"Oh, for the love of God!" I spun around heatedly, drawing the attention of the entire room. Johnny, Two-Bit and Steve were staying over for dinner and so the whole gang was there to prod and tease me. "Since everyone minus Dallas is here, I'm gonna say this once and only once. I do not want to hear about me jumping on Sheldon, or about how amazing or odd it is that Michael and I are together, and I especially don't want to hear another damn word about Timothy Shepard!"

"But no one-" Two-Bit started, looking confused.

"Nothing!" I snapped, "I'm going to start my homework and I don't want no one bothering me for whatever reason until I'm finished."

With my face a fluster, I stormed out of the living room and ripped open my bedroom door, slamming it so hard behind me that my picture frames rattled. And then I realized...

After thumping my head softly against the back of my door, I swallowed hard as I re-entered the living room, trying my best to ignore the wide eyes staring curiously at me.

"I forgot my book bag."


	12. Chapter 12

**Kay, so this chapter is fillerish, but major action will be coming up in a couple of chapters (: I don't own the song lyrics that I used, they belong to the Stray Cats (fantastic band by the way, I recommend you give them a listen), and the song is _My Heart is a Liar_. Usual thanks to all those who review and subscribe, Entangler, and to my Tumblr anons (: And to those who ask, Tim _will _be coming back very soon.  
I do not own _The Outsiders_.**

* * *

I pushed my way through the mass of students, feeling extremely self conscious about the ring that was hanging from a chain around my neck. I tucked it inside my blouse so no one could see it, but it still felt like everyone's eyes were on me.

"Will you stop walking hunched over like that?" Evie asked, poking my side. "You're just drawing more attention to yourself."

So it wasn't just my imagination.

My locker was in a mostly Socy area, so whenever I could, I tried not to spend too much time getting my stuff. As I got closer, they moved aside to let me pass, snickering and whispering behind their hands.

"How you doing Curtis?" One of them called out. "Feeling all high and mighty since you're going out with Michael?"

"Oh, sh-"

"Be quiet," Kathy advised quietly. "They're just trying to get a reaction out of you."

I bit the inside of my cheek, digging my nails into my palms, and moved past a group of Socs to get to my locker, but stepped in my tracks when I saw the papers taped to it.

_Easy. White trash. Whore. Stay away from Michael._

Each word had its own paper with crude stick figure drawings depicting it. Every one cut through me until it became physical pain and I clutched my stomach, feeling the tears pricking my eyes.

"Katherine..." Kathy put her hand on my shoulder but I pushed it away, wiping at my eyes.

"Save it."

I tore down the papers, shame building up inside of me. I've never been publicly humiliated like that. Why start now? It wasn't exactly a secret that I used to mess around, but why bring it up now? I was just starting to go steady with a Soc, and I had no desire to mess around with any guy who gave me the 'come to bed with me, I can show you a good time' look.

Even Two-Bit is more mature than that, I thought bitterly as I tore the papers up and threw them in the trash, trying my best to ignore the Socs' jeers. The girls looked like they wanted to talk about what happened when I came back, but I shook my head, spinning the dial on my locker and tugging on the handle when I finished entering the combination.

"What the-"

The door wouldn't open, and I tried opening it again, to no avail. Evie pushed me aside and put on foot on the locker next to mine and pulled hard on the handle, almost falling over when the door flew open. Some of the people surrounding us doubled over in laughter when they saw her, but she just gritted her teeth, leaning against the lockers and looking like she needed a cigarette.

Something thin and rectangular fell out of my locker and Kathy bent down to pick it up. I grabbed it from her, and my heart began to beat faster as I recognized it as a record.

"_Rick Turns 21_?" Evie read from over my shoulder, "I completely forgot that you had a soft spot for him."

"Shut up," I muttered, already having an idea who the person who put it in my locker was. I didn't have the heart to feel angry, but still tried to push away the wave of sadness that was starting to build up inside of me. Tim couldn't stand Ricky Nelson, and always used to poke fun at me about him when we were younger. The fact that he actually went out and bought the record for me made me want to run to him and hug him.

At least I hope that he bought it.

"There's something on the back."

I turned the record over and noticed a piece of notebook paper scotched to the back. In a familiar scrawl there was a sort of poem, and with every line I read I could feel my heart slowly breaking.

_Sittin' by myself lookin' out a broken window  
And out on the street crowds of people passin' by  
But how are they to know I'm feeling so alone?  
I feel like I could break down and cry  
Now I know how broken hearts must feel  
But my heart is a liar for you  
My heart is a liar it's true  
The flame keep on burnin', burnin' so high  
Never gonna die  
Sittin' all alone, feelin' sorry for myself  
I catch my reflection and I see the kinda fool I've been  
But how was I to know you wanted to let me go  
The only way to make it alright  
Now you've lit the flame again_

"My ring looks great on you."

I quickly clutched the record to my chest when I heard Michael, snapping my head up. He was giving me his careless grin, but cocked an eyebrow at my action.

"What's that?"

"It's... um..."

"A Ricky Nelson record," Kathy cut in. "She doesn't have that one so I let her borrow mine just so she could get a listen."

"Guess I should start following his dating tips if I want to make sure that you won't stray away, huh darling?" Michael teased, kissing my cheek. I quickly nodded, but the lines of the poem were still running through my head.

_I feel like I could break down and cry  
Now I know how broken hearts must feel_

"Where were you this morning?" Evie asked, looking behind Michael, who moved aside so Sandy could make her way to us. Her cheeks were flushed, like she had just ran all the way from the other end of the school, and her hair was messy and let down, which was unusual for her, because she kept it up in a high ponytail most of the time.

"I decided to walk to school, I live close enough so I figured why not?"

We nodded and I stuck the record in my locker, trying to take off the paper without drawing much attention to myself. I couldn't hear them talking though, and felt their eyes on me.

"What's that?" Michael pointed to the poem in my hand and my breath caught in my throat. I flicked my eyes over to Kathy, silently begging for help, and she pretended to write on her hand.

"Ka-Kathy wrote a note for me," I told him, cursing myself as I stammered her name.

"It's a thing that we have," Evie cut in. "Me, Kat, Sandy and Kathy. We always write each other notes when we give something to someone."

"That's cute," Michael said, giving us a slightly strained smile like he couldn't believe that we did that. I threw Kathy a grateful smile, thankful that Michael bought the lie. "Do you ladies mind if I borrow Katherine?"

Evie's eyes narrowed, but she quickly smiled and linked arms with Kathy and Sandy, waving at me as they went down the hallway.

"Man, what's up?" Sheldon and Anderson appeared with Cherry and Marcia. The boys gave me quick, dirty looks before turning to Michael and talking about their strategy for the upcoming football game, while the girls avoided my eyes. I suddenly got a feeling that their boys were the ones who taped the papers to my locker. Should this be, and as I clutched Michael's hand a jolt of electricity ran through my body.

"You okay?" He looked down at me, looking concerned. I quickly nodded, not answering. He gave me a quick smile and pecked my cheek, making his friends give me glares that would make the person who invented the expression "if looks could kill" proud.

xXxXxX

"What made you act like you did when you saw Michael?" Kathy asked as we sat down for history.

I hesitated for a moment, thinking of the sweet words written in the messy scrawl that I so easily recognized. Reading books and comics allowed me to escape from this world for a short amount of time. I could feel the emotions of the characters, I could picture them in my head as they roamed around a city or explored a forest. As I read the poem, I could easily see him writing in one of the old abandoned buildings downtown, squinting to see better in the bad light, empty cigarette packs and butts next to him, maybe a few beer bottles scattered around and balled up pieces of notebook paper in a pile.

"He wrote me a poem..."

She looked at me for a couple of seconds, her lips curled up into a half smile as if she were about to laugh, but when she saw that I wasn't joking her eyes widened.

"No way."

I looked around, but no one was paying attention to us, then quickly showed her the paper before putting it back in my folder.

"Timothy Brian Shepard," she began, "the badass hood who doesn't take shit from anyone, wrote you a love poem?"

"Who's writing love poetry now?" Steve asked, throwing his backpack to the floor and pulling out a chair for Evie.

"None of your business," I snapped, though my voice wasn't as rough as I wanted it to be, and he raised an eyebrow, giving me that mocking smirk of his as he raised his hands up in mock defeat.

"Calm down sweetheart, just askin' a simple question." He glanced at the folder that was under my arm and cocked an eyebrow. "Why ya bein' so protective about that?"

"Steve, if she doesn't want to tell you she doesn't have to!" Evie told him, pulling at his shirt sleeve so that he'd sit down.

"You know what she's talking about?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but if she don't wanna talk about it leave her alone."

He rolled his eyes and sat down as the teacher came in, looking like he wished that the school day was over despite the fact that it was still early in the morning. He handed out worksheets to the students sitting in the front row and told them to pass them back and make it quick.

"I'm in no mood to teach this morning so you're doing those," he said after taking a long sip of coffee. "If any of you so much as whisper I'm sending you to Mr. Parker's office, and I don't care what your excuse is."

I glanced at Kathy, who shrugged and took the worksheet that Evie handed her. I took mine from Steve, gave it a quick look and stifled a groan. Equations.

I stuffed the sheet in my book bag and looked around. No one seemed to be be doing the work; they were passing notes or doing other schoolwork. The tougher ones were tapping their pockets, where they kept their cigarettes, glaring at the teacher who was smoking and correcting their papers. There weren't any rules about not smoking. Hell, there was even a lounge where we were allowed to go smoke if we wanted to. It was long decided that it belonged to the Socs, even though they hardly used it, and anyway, we went to the parking lot or off campus if we wanted a weed.

Kathy had her head in her arms and appeared to be sleeping, and Evie and Steve were writing notes to each other. I figured that this was my best chance to finish reading Tim's poem, I've been fighting the urge to read it because I knew that someone would want to read it. Kathy knew me enough to not bother me about it, and I was thankful for that.

I quickly got it out, looking around me again to make sure that no one was paying me any attention, and began to read from where I left off.

_My heart is a liar for you  
My heart is a liar it's true  
The flame keep on burnin', burnin' so high  
It's never gonna die  
Sometimes I think, I pass you by  
But it's just love blinding my eyes  
Sittin' all alone, feelin' sorry for myself  
I catch my reflection and I see the kinda fool I've been  
But how was I to know you wanted to let me go  
The only way to make it alright  
Now you've lit the flame again  
My heart is a liar for you  
My heart is a liar it's true  
The flame keeps burnin', burnin' so high  
It's never gonna die  
No my heart is a liar for you  
My heart is a liar it's true  
The flame keeps burnin', burnin' so high  
Never gonna die  
Why?_

xXxXxX

"Jimmy."

I made my way to my friend as soon as I spotted him, wanting to take advantage of the few minutes that we had before Michael would come into the class. I almost bawled when I finished the poem, but I kept my emotions in check, and read the poem over and over again until I had it memorized.

He looked at me coolly and crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. "Decided that I'm still good enough for you Kat? Don't matter that I'm poor or in a gang?"

"Don't say that!" I begged, reaching out for his hand. "You ain't too good for me Jimmy, why does it matter who I'm dating?"

"You're going out with the enemy." His eyes hardened for a moment as he brushed hair out of his eyes and glanced at Michael's ring. "I ain't gonna interfere with anything, but I don't like it. What do you want?"

I fished out the poem from my book bag and showed it to him. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

He grabbed it from me, but I didn't bother stopping him. He would have found a way to get it from me even if I tried to prevent him.

"I honestly have no idea what this is," he handed me back the paper, his voice just as cool and collected as it was before, but I knew that he was lying, because he started to twirl his pencil between his fingers. It took me a while to notice, but I realized that everytime he lied, he began to twirl whatever he had in his hands.

"Tell Shepard to leave me alone," I said, turning away. "I'm not gonna let him ruin my relationship."

But when I hugged Michael, Tim's words were still running through my mind, and I had to pinch myself to keep from crying.

xXxXxX

Ponyboy wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we watched Steve, Two-Bit, Evie and Kathy drive off to the corner store to get us lunch. I had convinced Michael to let me eat lunch with my brother and friends. Even though he wasn't happy about it, he still let me go, but only after I promised to eat lunch with him the next day. I didn't want to, and thought that it wasn't fair that I had to do so, but was glad that I was away from them for the rest of the day.

"So you and Michael are really goin' steady, huh?" Johnny asked as we sat down at one of the lunch tables.

I nodded, fingering the ring, looking out in the distance. "This whole thing… It's real weird. I never thought that I would date a Soc…"

"How's he like?"

"Well he's awful nice and sweet," I began, drawing circles on the table with my finger, "I didn't really think about it, but he's like Papa in a lot of ways, manner wise and physically. Michael doesn't seem like the rest of them, mean and hard. But it's still early in the relationship, we'll see how it goes."

Ponyboy was biting his fingernails, a nervous habit that he had. I gently took his finger out of his mouth, smiling softly. "You've gotta stop that Pone."

He grinned, reaching up and ruffling my hair. "Me and the gang, we're gonna beat up Michael if he hurts you."

Johnny quickly agreed, giving me one of his rare, genuine smiles. I giggled and hugged them both, loving their protectiveness.

"Say, it's been awhile since I've hung out with you," I said, "and I promised Pony a bit more than a week ago that I'd hang out with him. Want to go see a movie Sunday?"

"Is Darry going to let us?"

"If I have to go to the stupid dinner date then he better let me go to the movies."

The words slipped out before I could think, and I gasped, covering my mouth. The boy's eyes widened and my brother looked like he was going to say something but I shook my head quickly.

"No, no that's not what I meant! I really didn't mean to say that, honest!"

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" My brother's normally soft grey green eyes were hard, and his fists were clenched. I shook my head again, taking his hand, hoping that he wouldn't be mad for long.

"It ain't like that Pony, it really isn't." My voice was soft as I tried to unclench his hands, but he just gave a look like he didn't believe me. "I just meant that his parents aren't the kinda people that I'm used to being around. When was the last time that I spoke to any parents 'sides Two-Bit's mom?"

"You'd tell me if he hurt you, right?"

"I love you, 'course I will."

He grinned and leaned back, reaching into his pocket for his cigarettes. He offered them to Johnny and me, and we took them gladly. I put the cigarette to my lips, closing my eyes and smiling softly as I inhaled.

"Tell us about his parents."

With a giggle, I began to tell them about his parents seemed like real life version of June and Ward Cleaver from _Leave it to Beaver_, a show that Soda and I used to watch a lot when we were kids. I left out when we talked about the war, because it was something that we didn't want to think about. In just a few weeks, Dally would be eligible for the draft, and Soda and Steve sometimes talked about enlisting as soon as they both turned eighteen.

"Katherine!"

I coughed as I let the smoke out, tears blinding my vision as I looked up and saw the blurry figures of Evie and Kathy.

"Okay, please, please don't be mad at us, but we accidentally told the boys about the papers-"

"How can you 'accidentally' tell them about that?" I demanded, interrupting Evie.

"Curly Shepard knew about it and we thought that the rest of them knew, we're really-"

"You have some explaining to do missy," Jimmy said, reaching me before the rest of the guys, his eyes dark.

"What's there to explain?" I asked, trying to laugh despite the questioning looks Johnny and Pony were giving me, and the hard, angry looks from the others. "They wrote nasty things and taped them to my locker. There ain't anything to explain."

"You gonna let them push you around like that?" He snatched the sweet out of my hand despite my protests and took a puff. "With you bein' Andrews' girl and all, they shouldn't be doin' that to you. Does he know?"

"No he don't," I answered, crossing my arms, "and I have no intention of telling him. How'd you find out?" I harshly asked the younger Shepard, and he held his hands up in defense.

"I just heard about it and thought that they knew, I didn't know that they didn't! Honest!"

"If shit like this keeps happening you just can't ignore it kid," Steve said, taking a cigarette from Pony. "That ain't right."

"I'll ask Michael to talk to them if this keeps up, alright? Them Socies don't like me, and I can't help that. If any of you were dating a Soc girl we sure wouldn't be putting nasty things on her locker."

"Guys and girls are different," Two-Bit told me, rubbing his nose and wincing. Apparently it's been hurting him even though it wasn't broken, and I couldn't help but feel responsible. "Just like us and them are. Let's say Jimmy here was datin' that babe, Cherry Valance or whatever her name is-"

"I wouldn't mind getting it on with her."

"We wouldn't do nothin' to her, cuz we got no business messing around with other guys' gals. Yeah we got a tough rep but we don't go around messing with girls. If them Socs continue to mess with you the way they are now you gotta tell us. If Darry found out he sure wouldn't be happy."

"Listen, I'll deal with this in my own," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Now gimme back my cigarette, will ya?"

xXxXxX

Someone shook me and I snapped out of the mini trance that I was in. I glared at Steve, but he just pointed to the door where Mr. Parker's secretary was waiting. Everyone was looking at me and Miss Brown was giving me a look that clearly showed that she was disappointed and wanted me to get up.

"Thank you mister Randle. Now miss Curtis, if you think you can make it without falling asleep, Mrs. Jackson would like to lead you to the principal's office."

My heart was pounding as I made my way to the secretary. What happened? Last time that I was called to the principal's office was when my parents died, and he wanted to offer his condolences. Did something happen to my brothers? Oh God, no...

Well, nothing happened to my brothers, but I still wasn't expecting what I got called in for.

"Detention?" I almost screamed and leapt out of my chair, but Mr. Parker grabbed me firmly by the wrist and sat me down.

"Yes Miss Curtis, detention on Saturday morning from ten to noon. I was quite appalled when I heard what you did to Mister Sheldon. You're a young lady, are you not? I would have expected better from you."

"But sir!" I protested. "He punched my friend in the face and provoked me!"

"Is there anything to prove that this happened?" he asked, putting his hands on his desk. "Mister Sheldon and his friends told me that you attacked him for no reason after he inquired about your relationship with Michael Andrews."

"That's a lie sir. He's the one who started it."

"I'm sorry Miss Curtis, but he and his friends say otherwise." He pulled a piece of paper out of his drawer and grabbed a pen, scribbled a few things, then handed me the paper. "Bring this when you come on Saturday. There's all the information that you need."

"Asshole," I muttered after getting up.

"Did you say anything Miss Curtis?"

Mr. Parker was raising an eyebrow and I quickly blushed. "I said I hope that you have a good day sir."

xXxXxX

What is it with Socs following me? When I glanced at the car, I realized with a jolt that it was the same one that was following me about two weeks ago. Why did Soda and Steve have to work extra hours?

"Dirty greaser whore!" they yelled at me as they passed by. "Stick to your own kind!"

Don't do anything, don't do anything...

"It ain't polite to ignore us Curtis. Tell us that you'll leave Michael alone and we'll stop botherin' ya."

"You have really thick skulls, don't ya?" Tim appeared with Curly, Jimmy and three other guys, and he wrapped an arm around me. "She never did anything to y'all."

"She's got to stick to you greasy fifth if she wants a relationship," Holden told him, leaning out the car window. "What do you say Curtis? Leave Michael alone and go with Shepard here? He looks like he'll give you a good time."

The boys in the car laughed as Tim inhaled sharply. From the corner of my eye, his boys stiffened, and Jimmy reached into his jacket while Curly slowly began to take his switchblade out from his front pocket. Tim looked like he was going to say something, but I beat him to it, almost snarling.

"Shut up and stay out of my relationship Holden."

Jimmy and one of the guys that I didn't know let out laughs before the Holden flipped them the bird, a silent way of telling them to shut up. His eyes were blazing as he looked at me, baring his teeth and reaching out to me.

"Don't you-"

There was a loud click and Holden froze, staring at the heater in Tim's hand. "Leave the girl alone."

Holden gave a low laugh, but didn't move. "Yeah, right. You ain't got the guts to shoot it."

Tim flicked the safety off, a sneer slowly making its way to his lips. "You want a bloodier repeat of last time?"

They stared at each other for a few seconds, and Holden retreated into the car, cursing. "You're not going to be as lucky next time. Shepard here isn't going to save your sorry ass all the time. Let's go boys."

We watched them drive off, and I watched Tim put away the gun in the waistband of his jeans, his arm still wrapped around me.

"Thanks," I whispered, putting my hand to his cheek. He didn't take notice of it and instead glared at me.

"What the hell do you think you're playin' at kid, walkin' home alone? It ain't safe for ya."

"Soda and Steve are working late... And Darry wants me home as soon as I finish work."

"Evans!" One of the guys who was with him looked up from his conversation with the others. He was tall with a bit of a stocky build, with blond hair piled up high in a pompadour, and there seemed to be a tattoo of a pin-up girl on his right biceps. "Walk her home, then meet me up at my place, we got stuff to talk about."

Evans nodded and grinned, holding his hand out to me. "Come here pretty baby, I won't let them Socies bother you none."

Before I could tell him off for calling me that, Tim reached out and slapped him across the head. "Don't call her that, she's taken."

"I wasn't aware that you had a girl Shep, why you keepin' her from us?"

Less than a second passed by before Tim cursed Evans out and let me go, landing a solid punch in his stomach. Evans let out a loud groan and doubled over, clearly in pain. Tim slapped him across the back of his head, seemingly for good measure.

"I hear any more shit like that coming out of your mouth and you'll get worse." Tim's eyes were blazing, and it wasn't hard to tell that it wasn't the time to cross him or ask him for a favor. But I ignored that last fact as he told the others to hurry up, and grabbed him by the shoulder, leaving Evans to recover.

"What?" he snapped, turning around so suddenly that I almost gasped and left him alone. That was really the worst thing to do, talk to him even though I told Jimmy to tell him to leave me alone that is. But he was there in front me of, and I just couldn't resist.

"I... I wanted to thank you for the record, and the poem..." I whispered, hoping that it would make his eyes soften up and take the glare off his face.

"I didn't give you no record."

"But-"

"Nothing. Get going now."

I was hurt by his cool attitude, and he didn't so much as glance back at me as he made his way to the rest of the guys. A low groan brought me out of my thoughts, and I looked back to Evans, who was leaning against a lamppost and clutching his stomach.

"Shepard can sure pack a punch... I'm sorry for calling you what I did, I didn't realize that he was so protective of you."

"It's alright," I muttered, wrapping my arm around his waist. "Come on, if you want I can give you some aspirin."

xXxXxX

"Glory Katherine, detention? That has got to be one of the stupidest things that you've ever done!"

While Ponyboy and Soda were doing the dishes, Darry was yelling at me in the dining room. I didn't say anything back to him, although I was pissed off that I had detention. Fucking Socs. Mr. Parker didn't even look like he was sorry when he apologized for giving me the detention slip.

"It wasn't my fault, alright?" Darry took a break from lecturing me and sat down, giving me a look that told me that I shouldn't mess with him. "It really wasn't! Sheldon was the one who started it, but Parker didn't believe me when I told him!"

"Lay off her Darry, will ya?" Soda called. "It ain't like this is the first time she's got it."

"She's a lad-"

"Sandy and Evie and Kathy are ladies, aren't they?" Soda poked his head through the doorway and shot me a quick wink. "They've gotten detention. No one's perfect."

"I don't care about anyo-"

"You've gotten detention yourself, haven't ya? Mom and pop didn't yell at you, did they?"

Darry fell silent for a while, and Soda quickly retreated to the kitchen, helping Pony finish off the dishes. I picked at my nails, absently thinking that I needed to paint them again. When I looked back up at my brother he stood up without a glance at me and peeked into the kitchen.

"Say Soda, can you give me a back massage after you finish?"

I guess I was off the hook.


	13. Chapter 13

**This was one of my favorite chapters to write, so I hope that you'll like it (: Entangler helped a _ton_ for this one, and I really appreciate her help :D I don't own the 'poem' (lines taken from two verses of the Stray Cats' _Bring it Back Again_). Tell me what you think about this one :P Thanks a lot to all my readers and reviewers (: Oh, and I'll try and get the next few chapters out faster :D**  
**I do not own _The Outsiders._**

* * *

Those two hours of detention were probably the most mind numbing ones of my life. We essentially went to our assigned classroom, where the teacher made us sign in, then sit at a desk with nothing to do until they let us go. We weren't allowed to do our homework (which, when you think of it, was kind of ironic considering that some of these kids were in detention for that reason), talk or do anything mildly mind simulating.

There were about fifteen other people in my classroom, and I was one of three girls. The two others had too much eye makeup, shirts that showed their stomachs when they stretched and skirts that rode up to a few inches above their knees when they sat down. Most of the guys were tough, hard looking characters, and seemed bored out of their minds. Whenever the teacher would go out for a cigarette, they would take out their own and try to finish them before she came back. One of them spent his time carving stuff into his desk with his blade, and by noon there was a pile of wood shavings on the floor next to him.

There were three guys who looked like they were middle or high class, but I didn't even need to talk to them to know that they were geeks. They looked scared out of their minds being in the same classroom as a bunch of hoods. One of the girls, who was loudly smacking gum the entire time, kept giving flirtatious looks to the geek who looked the most composed, and when we were let out I saw him necking her hard against his car before driving away with her.

I told all of this to Two-Bit as we walked to the county jail to visit Dally after lunch. When I heard that he was going to see our friend, I practically begged Darry to let me go with him. He was on his way to work for a few hours, so he wasn't in the mood to argue. He just made me promise that I would be back in time to prepare myself for that evening.

Two-Bit was still a bit cool to me, but he grinned and cracked a few jokes about the people as I told him about the two unnecessary hours that I spent at school. As we got nearer to the jail, we got quieter, and we stopped for a couple of minutes in front of it, just to let Two-Bit finish his cigarette because we weren't allowed to smoke inside. I wanted to smoke too, because to be honest, I was feeling kinda jittery, but I didn't want to waste any time.

We showed our IDs to the guard at the front desk, who verified our information before calling a couple of other guards to bring us to Dally. We were then led into separate rooms to be searched; apparently it wasn't appropriate for Two-Bit and I to be searched together. I felt kind of uncomfortable when the cop frisked me... he took a little too much time around my chest and middle area, and I clenched my teeth as I restrained myself from punching him and running away. But he finally told me that I was good to go and, with a wink that made my stomach turn, he sent me out. Two-But was trying to convince the cop who searched him to let him bring his switchblade in with him, but the cop wouldn't budge. It was only until he threatened Two-Bit with a night in the cooler that my friend shut up.

"I'll come get you when your time is up," the cop said as we took our seats in the visiting room. "You've got thirty minutes."

Dally came out a minute later, his light blond hair almost covering his icy blue eyes. He appeared paler and thinner than the last time I saw him, but still just as tough and menacing... even with the bright orange jumpsuit.

"Hey Dallas man, how are you?" They shook hands and and bumped fists as Dallas sat down.

"This place is a fuckin' dump," he said, rolling his eyes. "Got a new cellmate the other day. God, the guy's such a square. One of those God fearin' assholes. He got booked for beatin' the shit outta some black guy 'cause he was hitting on his broad or somethin'. The guy thinks he's so tough, actually tried to convert me! Man!" He let out a low laugh, but there was no amusement in it. "He really thought he could try to make me a born again Christian or whatever. I can't even remember the last time I went into a fuckin' church." He stopped talking, and looked at me like he just noticed that I was there. A smirk made its way to his lips as his icy blue eyes turned hard. "I've heard a lot about you Kitty Kat."

I resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow, and just crossed my legs, smiling slightly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He leaned forward and lifted the ring up and out of my blouse, running his fingers over it. "What's this shit that I hear about you datin' a Soc?"

The ring suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, and I slapped his hand away, feeling my smile fade. "What did Shepard tell you?"

"Not much. Just that ya suddenly decided that a Soc was better than anyone from our side of town."

Two-Bit stiffened beside me and this time I couldn't resist rolling my eyes. "That ain't true. Michael's the one-"

"Just the name sounds Socy," he said, leaning back in his chair and picking at the dirt under his nails.

"Michael's the one who talked to me first," I continued, ignoring his interruption. "I didn't ask for him to give me his ring or anythin'. We like each other, he looks nice enough and he ain't mean, doesn't seem like he's gonna beat me anytime soon."

"Well that's how they all are. They got all the breaks, the nice clothes, hot rods and all the fuckin' money in the world. 'Course they look nice. But you do one wrong move sweetheart and he's gonna fuck you up bad."

"Jesus Christ Dallas, don't say that!" Two-Bit said, looking slightly alarmed. But Dally didn't blink, just continued to stare at us with a half smirk, still picking at his fingernails.

"It's the truth, ain't it? I hate what this guy sounds like, and if I weren't in this dump I'd go find him and beat his head in for even talkin' to her. I'm not saying that she gotta listen to me, but he sounds dangerous."

"What do you mean?" I demanded, ignoring the threat and sensing that he knew something I didn't.

He merely cocked an eyebrow and gave me a smirk that he knew drove me crazy. "I think you'll find out soon enough sweetheart. It's hard to hide a habit like his."

"What does he do?" I almost screamed, drawing attention from people a few tables away. "Does he smoke? Drink? My god Dally, everyone does that once in a while!"

"Calm down Kit-Kat," Two-Bit whispered, grabbing my arm, but I ignored him.

Dally slyly shook his head, his smirk growing wider. "You ain't gonna find nothin' out from me."

"Dally, is it drugs? Is Michael doing drugs?"

I knew that it was useless to ask, but I was desperate to find out what he was talking about. But Dally wouldn't budge, he just stared silently at me, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Dally, tell me!" I rose abruptly, kicking back my chair, and pounding my fists down hard on the table. "I need to know!"

I was trembling and close to tears, and Dally wasn't about to pretend that he didn't notice. He slowly rose from his seat and took a step closer, wrapping his arms around me to give me a bone-crushing hug. "Like I said, you'll find out soon enough. But play it safe kid, I ain't itching to see ya get hurt."

xXxXxX

"_Tim, push me higher!" I squealed, kicking my legs back and forth, wanting to be as high as possible and touch the clouds._

"_Christ kid,__you can only get so high," he muttered, but gave me an extra strong push against my back as I swung back to him. The chain was threatening to snap every time I reached a certain height, and after a couple more pushes, I came to the sad realization that I wouldn't be able be as high as the clouds._

"_Look at me, I'm gonna jump!"_

"_No, you are no-" He grabbed at the swing's chains but I was already out of his reach. When I was at the highest point, I let go of the swing and pushed myself off the seat, giggling as I flew through the air. As my feet touched the ground my knees buckled under my weight and I fell face first into the sand. "Holy shit, Katherine!" Tim ran towards me as I sat up, rubbing the sand off my face and spitting out what had gotten into my mouth. "I told ya not to jump! Here, let me." He pulled a stained but clean handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the sand off my face, ignoring my winces when he wiped too hard. "There, you're clean now." He held out his hand and I brushed the excess sand off my clothes, my face burning. "Are you okay?"_

"_I… I'm fine. Thanks…"_

"_No problem kiddo." He wet the edge of his handkerchief and wiped it somewhat roughly against the corner of my mouth, laughing at my pout when he took his hand away. "You got some dirt there."_

_I couldn't help but giggle, and took his hand, swinging it. "I like you an awful lot Tim."_

_He was quiet as we walked off the sand, but his voice was soft when he answered. "I do too Kat. Come on, I gotta get you home."_

"Katherine!" Darry knocked at my door, sounding just the slightest bit impatient. I had heard him yelling at Pony and Soda because they wanted to put some grease in their hair and didn't dress up good enough. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, just a sec."

I set down the photograph of Tim and I at the park, taken without our knowledge by a thirteen year old Two-Bit who had already started to shoplift. Along with the camera, he stole five rolls of film and had used them all by the end of the evening. With a sigh, I opened the lower drawer of my vanity and stuck it in, along with some pieces of paper with songs and poems written on them, and the record.

I got more poems from him throughout the week, and each one was sent with a song. Some were written with more care than others, but they were all about how he felt about me. He really wasn't the best writer, but there was one, untitled, that I really liked.

_Is it any wonder why I love you so?  
Oh, you were my first love  
When your arms met mine,  
You just stole my heart for all time  
Though I know I'm the only one to blame,  
I've had enough of this sorrow and pain  
I know that deep down you still feel the same,  
Bring me your love back again._

Some of the other lyrics he copied down were from the songs _You Are My One Desire_ by Buddy Holly, _My One Desire _by Ricky Nelson and _I'm Alone Because I Love You _ by Eddie Cochran. That was the one that made me feel the guiltiest about being with Michael. It was the most explicit about his feelings towards me, and I couldn't help but cry when I read it. I literally burst into tears and I wouldn't tell anyone why. Hell, if Michael found out that Tim was sending notes to me, not only would he probably get mad at me, but he, and probably a couple of his friends, would go out and beat him up.

Damnit, I had to stop thinking about him. I was going to Michael's house for dinner with my brothers and I couldn't afford to screw it up.

_Don't think about him, don't think about him..._

Soda was sulking in the living room, wearing a buttoned up plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled down and his hair was somewhat parted to the side, not swept back with grease. But he couldn't help but grin and get up to hug me when he saw me.

"You look real pretty honey."

"I'm sorry you hafta come, I know you don't like him..."

He laughed, but it was somewhat forced. "It's alright, as long as you're happy it's cool."

"Okay, we're all ready?" Darry asked, running into the living room and jumping on one foot, trying to tie his shoe. "Cool, let's get into the truck, we're going to be late."

We squeezed into the front seat, with me on Soda's lap so that we wouldn't be as squished. The radio was turned on to our favorite station that played a lot of rock'n'roll musicians and bands, and listening to them brought back a lot of memories from our childhood. Gene Vincent, early Elvis, Ricky Nelson, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly were some of the my favorites that played on the station.

Kids stopped playing as we passed by, and it wasn't hard to tell why. Our pickup truck probably wasn't a usual sight in this neighborhood. Steve and Soda kept it in prime condition, but the paint was chipped and we couldn't afford to repaint it. There was no use in buying another truck; it brought us places in one piece, why waste money buying a new one?

I knew what was going through all their minds. Jealousy and envy. Soda's grip around my waist tightened as we got deeper into Soc territory, and he sat up straighter with a glint in his eye that he usually only kept for rumbles. Ponyboy had a faraway look that I only knew too well: it meant that he was daydreaming, or thinking up another story. Despite the fact that he looked out of it, I knew that he was drinking in every detail of the houses and streets as Darry drove us to Michael's house. As for Darry, I knew he had long suppressed those feelings, but it had been a while since he's been on the West Side and I could see by the look on his face that memories were coming back to him.

Darry parked in the Andrews's driveway and killed the engine with a sigh. "Nice place," he commented, somewhat dryly, looking up at the two story house. "Let's go inside."

We piled out and I smoothed my skirt, feeling more self conscious than the last time that I was here. Darry pulled me next to him as he rang the doorbell and told Soda to stop slouching just as Louise opened the door. Christ, she was the spitting image of June Cleaver. She smiled widely, eagerly shook Darry's hand and hugged me.

"Oh, I'm so glad you could make it! Come in, come in, can I take your jackets?" She took my brothers' jackets and my cardigan. "Michael is upstairs honey, he'll be down in a few minutes. Come outside, my husband is waiting and I just finished making the iced tea."

"It's a pleasure to see you again Miss Curtis." Michael's father got up as soon as we stepped foot on the patio, and kissed my hand before firmly shaking Darry's hand. "I'm Jonathan Andrews, Michael's father. It's a pleasure to meet you gentlemen. Katherine and Michael have told us a lot about you."

"I'm Darrel sir, it's a pleasure to meet you," Darry said, letting go of Mr. Andrews's hand. "This is Sodapop, and he's Ponyboy." They both muttered hellos and shook my boyfriend's father's hand in turn. "How do you do sir?"

"I'm very well, thank you. And you young men?"

"We can't complain."

He laughed and gestured towards the chairs. "Well, sit down! Louise is supposed to be out with glasses for all of us, and Michael is-"

"Hi guys!" Michael appeared with his usual grin and was wearing a dark blue shirt with tan pants. He eagerly shook hands with my brothers and kissed me once on each cheek, making me blush. "How are you doing?"

"We're good," Darry smiled, thanking Mrs. Andrews as she came with a tray of glasses and poured him his drink. "Thank you for inviting us."

"Well we thought that it would only be appropriate to invite you over for dinner to get to know you. We prefer to meet the girl's family before Michael gives her his ring, but he seemed to be so struck by Katherine here that he just couldn't wait."

"Father..." Michael groaned as I blushed and took his hand, squeezing it.

"Well, it's only the truth son. Katherine seems like a wonderful girl, your parents did a job of raising her."

"My parents were determined not to have us fit the stereotype of the lower class American," Darry explained. "They pushed us to do our best."

I glanced over at Soda and immediately felt bad as soon as I saw his ears turn red. Okay, so he was a dropout. But he was the sweetest guy I knew and had more manners than all of the Socs out there. And he wasn't dumb, no matter how many times he said it. He just wasn't as academic as Darry or Ponyboy, but that didn't mean he was stupid.

The men (well, mostly Michael, his father and Darry) were talking about football and college, while Ponyboy and Soda sat silently for the most part, only bending over to occasionally whisper something to the other. Michael's mom was in and out of the house to check on the food, and I had to admit, it was starting to make my mouth water.

"Hey, you wanna go up to my room for a while?" Michael asked me, and I knew that it was a silent way of saying that we should leave my brothers and his dad alone so that they could talk. He offered his hand and I took it, smiling softly.

"Keep the door-"

"Christ Father!" Michael hit his head, and I noticed Soda trying to suppress a snigger. "I know, we're not going to do anything that we're not supposed to do."

"Watch your language young man," he said sternly, eyes dark, "or I'm not going to let you take her up at all. Be back in half an hour."

Before Michael led me inside, Darry gave me the same look that he had given me several times before, especially during the summer, that told me 'don't do anything that will get you in trouble'. I gave him a quick smile as I went inside, following Michael up to his bedroom.

There was the same pungent smell as the previous time that I was there, but his windows were wide open, maybe in an attempt to make the smell less noticeable. As I sat down on the bed, looking around at his posters and flags, the conversation with Dally suddenly came rushing back.

"_He sounds dangerous."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I think you'll find out soon enough sweetheart, it's hard to hide a habit like his."_

"You look pensive," Michael noted, sitting down next to me and wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Can I ask a question?"

"You just did," he laughed, "but go on."

I fiddled with the bottom of my skirt, wrapping the material around my finger. "Don't take it personal or anything… But do you have any habits that I should know about?"

He was quiet for a few seconds, and I almost told him to forget about it when he answered back with a question, his voice even. "What gave you that idea?"

"I… I was just wondering."

He put his hand under my chin, softly turning my head so that I was looking at him. "Do you trust me not to lie to you?"

"Yes." My voice was soft, and I forgot why I was nervous about asking him the question in the first place.

"Then trust me when I tell you that I have nothing to hide." He smiled softly and closed his eyes before leaning in and pressing his lips to mine. I was momentarily glad that he wasn't trying to shove his tongue down my throat. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, running my hands through his thick hair, and tilted my head, deepening the kiss. My heart was pounding so hard, I swore that he could hear it. I let out a gasp as he moved his hand to the back of my neck and into my hair, weaving his fingers through the curls. I pulled away for a moment, taking half a breath before he kissed me again with more need. For a split second, I was scared, I didn't expect something like this from him. His next move surprised me even more, and I had to fight the urge to push him away as he put his hands on my waist and pulled me onto his lap.

"Michael!" I almost moaned and could feel myself turning a deep red as my lips left his. His own cheeks were flushed, and he laughed gently, looking somewhat sheepish.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away... It's just that..." He pressed his lips to mine again and a surge of electricity coursed through my body, "you're so kissable."

"I guess you are too," I smiled, taking his hand.

"I'm sorry," he said again, biting his lip, no trace of the person who was kissing me just a few seconds ago in his facial features. His eyes were clearer and brighter than usual, and his cheeks were tainted pink, but that was all.

"It's alright," I giggled, pecking his cheek.

So that was it. My first official kiss with him. I guess we were really a couple then.

The thought made me smile, and with a soft giggle, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his.

xXxXxX

Dinner was pretty good for the most part, Louise is an amazing cook. Jonathan really seemed to like Darry, and both parents were pretty impressed with Ponyboy. They didn't say much about Sodapop, so I took it as they weren't too keen about him, which kind of hurt me.

The main conversation remained mostly around Darry, Michael and Jonathan, but Louise made an effort to talk to Ponyboy, Soda and I. She asked us about our parents and ourselves and a bit about our childhood. It was mostly Ponyboy and I who talked, and she was real thrilled when she found out that Ponyboy loved to read and write. It turned out that it was one of her dreams to become a writer when she was in high school, and was studying to become an English teacher in college, but then she met Jonathan, and he didn't approve of her writing a book. '_But,'_ she told us quietly and with a giggle, '_I've been secretly writing a romance novel for a while now, I hope that I can publish it when I finish it_.' Michael and I didn't have the chance to be alone again after the short half hour, but he kissed me several times after the first initial kiss, and I was glad that he didn't try and use tongue.

Someone knocked on my door and I called out 'it's open'. It opened with a creak and I looked up to see Soda, who seemed a bit embarrassed and not his usual happy and sure self.

"Can I talk to you about somethin'?" I nodded and set my book down, sitting up. He didn't sit down when I patted my bed, and leaned against my desk, looking around my room. "It's about Michael, that good?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

He raised two of his fingers to his lips, like he was taking a drag on a cigarette, and I cocked my head slightly. Sighing, he lowered his fingers and looked at the space above my head. "Listen, me and a couple of people, we've been thinking... There's something suspicious about Michael. I know that I don't know him real well, and tonight was the first time I really spent time with him-"

"Who are these 'couple of people'?" I asked, starting to feel a bit angry at my twin.

He scratched the back of his head, his ears beginning to turn red. "I don't think-"

"I have every right to know." I crossed my arms and stared up at him, glaring. "And don't give me none of your 'it don't matter to you' bull, 'cause I don't want to hear it."

He sighed, and ran a hand through his ungreased hair, seeming to hesitate. "You won't like it."

"I don't care."

"There's Jimmy and Two-Bit and Steve... Couple other people." I raised an eyebrow and he took a deep breath. "Sandy, Evie, the Shepards..."

I cursed, looking away, and reached for my cigarettes. Darry hated it when we smoked inside the house, but he wasn't around, so I didn't care. "Go on."

Evie didn't like that I was dating Michael? She was the one out of Kathy and Sandy who encouraged the relationship. And why the fuck did Steve care? It wasn't like we were best friends. I was a bit confused about whether the Shepards meant only Tim, or him and his younger siblings, but I listened to Soda as he told me what was on his mind and what they had talked about.

"We just don't think that it's right, savvy? There's something bad about him. Why would he go with a girl who's from a lower social class than him? I not sayin' it ain't been done before, but I just don't like the fact that you're the one he's decided to go out with. He's gonna hurt you... Curly Shepard apparently found out something bad about him, and Jimmy and Tim are lookin' into it, to see if it's true or not."

"What did he find out?"

"Katherine..." he sighed, clearly not wanting to talk about it.

"Soda..." I begged, "_please..._"

"Okay, we're not sure if it's true," he began, "so please don't get mad at me-"

"I can't guarantee that."

"Curly thinks that he might be doing drugs. He and a friend were doin' some business when they saw someone who looked like him walkin' in the River Kings' territory, and ya know how they're starting to get into that business. He went into a real run down house and didn't stay there for long, but he looked pretty nervous apparently-"

I blocked out the rest of his words, refusing to believe him. The guy they saw looked like him... that didn't mean it _was _him. And besides, Michael told me to my face that he didn't do drugs and I hadn't seen him do anything to indicate that he did. He was sweet and kind, and he wouldn't dream about hurting me. He treated me like a princess.

"Get out." The words came out before I could think, but as I said them, I realized that I didn't want to talk to him and hear him tell those lies about my boyfriend.

"Katherine," he pleaded, bending down and turning my chin so that I was looking at him. His dark brown eyes were wide, full of hurt, and I turned away, tears filling my eyes. "Please, talk to me, I didn't say that to hurt you... Come on Kitty baby... I love you, don't be mad."

"G-go away!" I managed to choke out, before the tears spilled and I buried my face in my hands, sobbing. I hardly heard the door close as I fell against my mattress, crying into my pillow.

Michael wasn't bad, he really wasn't. I wouldn't believe it, no matter what anyone said. I didn't care if it was Evie or Two-Bit or Tim or my own brothers. Michael would never hurt me.


	14. Chapter 14

**I apologize for the wait! I'm going to start my last year of school next week, so I had a ton of things to do. Updates will be slower when school starts again, with college and financial aid applications and exams that I absolutely cannot afford to fail. But here is the new chapter, and it's the longest that I've written so far :3 I'm really excited to write the next few chapters, and I guarantee that the wait for them will be worth it! :D Thanks again for the reviews, follows and favorites, I always smile when I see the emails (:  
I do not own _The Outsiders_.**

* * *

"What do you boys want to see?" I asked, slinging my arm around Pony's shoulders as he snaked his around my waist. There were a lot of people lining up for tickets, all chatting excitedly, shoving each other, laughing or calling out to friends or girls around them. The typical scene that you'd find outside a movie theater basically. "There's one of those beach movies playin', how does that sound?"

"Whatever you want," Johnny shrugged, but his cheeks darkened and I giggled, knowing what he was thinking.

"I don't think Annette Funicello is in it," I said, standing on my tiptoes to look at the movie posters. "Neither is Frankie Avalon for that matter." I was kind of disappointed, he was great in _Beach Blanket Bingo_.

"That's alright," he grinned. "What else is playing?"

"_The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming_," Ponyboy read, craning his neck up to see the movie titles, "and _Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff_? I kinda wanted to see that."

"Ain't there a book with that title?" I asked. "It sounds familiar."

"A play," he corrected. "I didn't read it but I heard its real good."

"You want to see it?"

"Not if it bothers you guys..."

"Johnnycake, what do you want to see?"

"I don't care," he answered, shrugging. "Whatever suits y'all."

"Heads or tails baby?" I asked my brother, reaching into my purse for a penny and giving it to Johnny.

"Tails."

Johnny flipped the coin and caught it, then slapped it on his hand. "Heads. What does that mean?"

"You two ready for an hour and a half of bad singing and random girls prancing around in bikinis?"

"Sounds good," the boys laughed.

We waited another fifteen minutes in line, just talking about school and random people, like who was going out with who and who had recently gotten sent away or came back. I asked them about Jackie Evans, the boy from Tim's gang who walked me home the other day and it turned out that his sister was in Johnny's English class. I decided I didn't like her after Johnny hesitantly told me she thought that Tim was second to God, even when he added that he hardly acknowledged her existence. She was also one of Angela's girls, and Angela disliked the fact that her friend was trying to get into her brother's pants.

Johnny also told us that Jackie's family came from the slums of Chicago, and that he still kept contact with some of the gangs there. Drugs were common enough in his old neighborhood that they had begun to deal them. From what he knew, drugs brought in a lot of money, and he was trying to convince the Shepard gang to make deals with the River Kings so they could get drugs too and sell them. But Tim wouldn't agree to it, and Curly stood firmly behind him, mostly because he agreed with everything that his older brother said. It was five against three, and since Tim stood with the majority, they weren't going to deal. Evans also had a history of arrests, and spent the past six months in the state jail for armed robbery.

"Three tickets for _The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini_?" the guy behind the ticket counter asked. "Alright, that's going to be seventy five cents."

I reached into my purse to get the money, but Johnny slapped a fifty cent piece on the counter, and Pony a quarter.

"Johnny, I can't-"

"Aw, it's alright. It don't bother me none."

The guy behind the counter looked at us with a bemused grin, then handed us our tickets. "Enjoy the movie."

"Why don't y'all save some seats and I'll get the snacks?" I suggested as we walked into the theater. "Three Cokes and a large popcorn?"

"Sounds about right," Pony said, trying to imitate Two-Bit by grinning like a Chessy Cat and flipping me a fifty cent piece. "Darry's the one who gave me the money."

I rolled my eyes but went in line as the boys walked away into the theater. I spent a little time people watching as I waited for my turn to order the food. There was a mixed crowd that day, lots of Socs and greasers and everyone in between. The tension between the social classes was palpable, and a small group of greasers got escorted out after starting a fight with some Socs.

xXxXxX

"That was a weird movie," I said as we walked out of the theater. I should have expected it though, as all beach movies were the same: more than enough girls prancing around in bikinis, random singing and no plot. I looked back at the people waiting in line and noticed a couple, both with blond hair, and from the distance that I was at, could have sworn that it was Michael and Sandy. Then I remembered that Sandy was out on a double date with Steve and Evie, and Michael was supposed to be with the football team, perfecting their strategy for the upcoming game the next week. Anyway, the boy was wearing jeans and a leather jacket, and I'd never seen Michael wear either.

"It was alright," Pony said nonchalantly, and Johnny agreed.

I shook my head, but giggled. Typical of them to say that. "Y'all want to do anything before we head back?"

"How 'bout the arcade?"

"That okay with you Kat?" Pony asked.

"It's alright," I said. "I could use another Coke."

We walked the half a dozen blocks to the arcade, talking about the movie and other stuff. I went to the small bar in the arcade while the boys went straight to the pinball machines. There were several small groups of guys, some younger and others older, and I couldn't help but feel they were mentally undressing me as I paid for our drinks. It was obvious that I was one of the nicer looking girls there, so I just ignored the looks, and took Michael's ring out so that they would see that I wasn't available. Some of the boys gave me looks that plainly said that they'd be available if I was going to be single, but others just smirked and straightened up, putting their hands in their pockets.

"Hey sweetheart," a guy with dirty blond hair piled high in a pompadour called out to me, obviously the leader of his small group of friends. "Don't think you can hang 'round here lookin' like that without lettin' me take you home for a fuck."

"Oh goodness." I buried my face in my hands, not wanting to show how red my face was becoming.

"Hey man, don't say that to her," Johnny said, looking up from my brother's game of pinball and glaring at the guy.

"What, you gonna try an' stop me ya little punk?" He jeered as his friends laughed, and Johnny's cheeks darkened.

"Girls shouldn't hear that kinda stuff," he muttered, putting his hands in his pockets. "It ain't right."

"It ain't nothing that I've never heard Johnny," I said, hoping I wasn't as red as I felt, as I took a sip of my Coke. "It's alright."

He muttered something that I didn't catch, and I continued my people watching. As long as the boys kept their distance, it would be alright.

xXxXxX

"Hey baby," I looked behind me and saw the same guy from earlier. Up close, I saw that he was actually really good looking, his hair looked really soft and his full lips were curved into a half smile. If I'd seen him during the summer I probably would have gone with him. "What are you doing tonight?"

"My boyfriend's taking me out," I lied smoothly, leaning against the pinball machine. Pony and Johnny were by my side, looking as cool as ever, both smoking but ready to defend me if needed.

"An' this guy is your boy?" He asked, nodding over to Johnny and reaching over, fingering my ring for a moment before I slapped his hand away with a glare, trying to push the feeling of uneasiness that was building up in the pit of my stomach. "Not such a hot date idea, bringin' your girl to the arcade. I can give you a good time sweetheart, come back with me to my place."

"He's not my boyfriend, and no thank you," I told him coolly. "Come on guys, let's go home." I nodded over to the boys, hoping that we could leave without a fight.

"You ain't goin' nowhere." The guy grabbed me by the wrist, stopping me, and I gasped at the contact. He held onto me tightly, the corners of his mouth twitching with a smirk, as he refused to let me go. I genuinely thought he could do worse to me than the Socs ever could, and the glint in his menacing dark eyes confirmed my thoughts.

There was the familiar sound of swishing blades and someone pulled me away, pushing me behind him. When I saw the familiar mass of wheat blond hair I almost gasped and stumbled into Johnny.

"Get your hands off my sister Greene," Soda snarled, his usually dancing dark brown eyes hard with fury. "She's taken."

"This babe's your sister?" The guy tried to cover up his surprise after asking the question, but smirked again and nodded. "Who's she goin' steady with? Maybe I can talk to 'im and convince 'im to let me-"

"The guy she's going with is one that can easily beat the shit out of you if you so much as lay another finger on her."

Greene held his hands up in defense, the smirk, which I was beginning to find annoying, still playing on his lips, and I knew that I would have to watch out for him. "Alright, I'll leave 'er alone man, no need to get so hacked off about it."

We watched him go back to his friends, Soda staring daggers at him. "Come on, let's go," he muttered, dragging me out of the arcade by my hand, Pony and Johnny following us.

"Aren't you supposed to be out with Sandy?" Pony asked after we walked in silence for about a block.

"She's sick."

Something about the way he said that made me stop and stare at him. I was still mad at him for what he said about Michael, so we didn't talk much since the previous night. Soda and I usually got along really well, so silence between us was rare.

"What?" he snapped, turning on his heel to face me. That was something else that I'd hardly seen: an angry Sodapop. His hair wasn't greased, instead it was tousled like Pony's often was after running a race. Oil stains covered his arms and face and I realized, after I sniffed, that the smell of cigarettes wasn't coming from Ponyboy or Johnny... it was coming from Soda. I immediately narrowed my eyes, Soda hardly smoked unless he was upset or wanted to look tough. He wouldn't act like that just because Sandy was sick.

"Did you and Sandy get into a fight?"

"No, her mom wouldn't let me see her because she was asleep. And I don't want to see that creep around you anymore, he's trouble. He flirts with girls left and right, can bed up to five of them at one party, and apparently he's the father of at least two kids."

I was confused, did it look like I wanted to hang around that guy again? And he's a father...? "But he doesn't look older than eigh-"

"Exactly." Soda sped up until he was jogging, eventually turning the corner and disappearing from our sight.

"There is no way that Sandy being sick made him like that," I said, staring after him. Maybe it was the guy that was flirting with me, maybe he's flirted with Sandy before or she's dated him before. "Have you boys seen the guy before?"

"I've seen him at the DX a couple of times, he's the leader of a pretty rough outfit downtown," Pony said, throwing his cigarette to the ground and hitching his thumbs through his belt loops. "I never really talked to him though."

We walked in silence until we got home, where we parted ways with Johnny and promised to come pick him up the next morning. The house was quiet when we entered, and I tentatively called out Soda's name, but he didn't answer.

"I don't think he's home," Pony told me when he went to check in their bedroom. "Maybe he's gone out to see if Sandy was awake."

I nodded. It could be a possibility. One time when she was sick, he went to her house and made her soup, stayed by her side talking to her, and only left when night came and her parents made him leave. But he snuck out of our house and went into hers to watch over her. The only reason he got caught was because Sandy's mother came in to check on her to make sure she was okay.

As I laid down on the couch after turning on the television, I decided that when Soda came back, I would talk to him and forgive him.

xXxXxX

"Pony, Soda still isn't home," I said, glancing up at the kitchen clock, feeling worried. It was past dinner, Darry had called about forty minutes to tell us that his boss offered him an extra shift, and that he wouldn't be home until after ten. "Do you think we ought to call Sandy and ask if he's there? It might get him in trouble but I'm startin' to get real worried."

Pony sighed, drying the last plate and putting it in the cabinet. "He mighta gone to the DX or Steve's house. And it's probably not only his fight with Sandy that's got him mad, he looked real hacked off at that guy at the arcade."

"He wouldn't still be mad about that, would he?"

Oh, what if he was? I still remember one time he beat up this guy who pushed me against the lockers in the seventh grade and tried to kiss me. He was so mad after and wouldn't talk to anyone until the next day. Even when he slept it over, he was still mad.

I plopped down in a chair, putting my face in my hands. "What if something happened to him? What if some Socs got hold of him and... And-"

"I'll call Sandy and ask if he's there." My younger brother could tell that I was getting hysterical, and I swallowed, nodding and wiping at my eyes. He gave me a comforting hug, then picked up the phone, taking a deep breath. He was always nervous when it came to talking on the phone, especially if he was calling someone he didn't speak to much.

"Hi, this is Ponyboy Curtis, Soda's brother." He leaned against the wall as he spoke into the phone, talking to who I presumed to be Sandy's father or mother. "I'm good, thanks, and you? I was wonderin' if my brother was there, he hasn't been - What? Really? But he said..." He listened intently to the other person, his face screwed up in concentration, though confusion was also evident. "Oh, okay... Thanks a lot, sorry for botherin' you, good night."

He hung up and stared out the window above the sink. You couldn't see much, since it was after dark, but I knew that he wasn't looking out to see the stars.

"Who answered?"

"Sandy..." He looked at me, cocking his head to the side slightly, a sure sign that he was confused. "She ain't sick. She said that she and Soda got into a fight and she hasn't seen him since..."

"Why would he lie to us about that?" I was feeling equally confused and my anger towards my twin was starting to come back. "There's nothing wrong about that."

"How 'bout you call Steve?" He asked, holding out the phone. "Maybe Soda's at his place for the night."

Out of the both of us, at that moment, I was the one who was on better terms with our brother's best friend, and I knew that it was only fair that since he called Sandy, I should call Steve.

I dialed his number and waited with bated breath, hoping that-

"_Who's this?" _a rough voice answered, and I almost recoiled when I heard it.

_Oh no. Not his dad._

I haven't seen him since I was a kid, since his wife ran off with another man when Steve was thirteen. That's when his father started to drink and beat Steve. He began to sleep with countless women, and one time he almost got remarried, but Steve managed to stop the marriage by feeding lies to the woman about how his father was unfaithful. His dad beat him up bad after he found out who told her the lies, and kicked him out of the house for a month, but Steve was happy that he wasn't going to end up with a stepmother.

"_Hey, if you ain't going to answer then you shouldn't have bothered call-"_

"Mister Randle?" I asked with a squeak, hoping that he wouldn't start yelling at me over the phone.

"_Who's this? If you're tryin' to sell me something then hang up, I ain't interested in your shit products."_

"No sir, it-it's Katherine Curtis sir, I'm a friend of Steve's..."

"_Well Miss Curtis, you're out of luck." _He paused for a second, and I could hear him chugging down a bottle , then a loud curse as it dropped with a loud crash. _"God fuckin' damnit, that was my last fuckin' bottle!" _There was rustling on his side and a loud groan, and I closed my eyes, wishing that the conversation would finish. _"Why do I have the phone? Who's callin'?"_

"Katherine Curtis sir, I'm-"

"_Right, Steven's friend. Hate to tell you this, but-" _He let out a loud belch, and I cringed. Ponyboy gave me a questioning look, but I waved him off, biting my lip. _"I kicked the kid out. Thinks he can talk back to me the way he does. Bastard, just like his whore of a mother. He ain't here if you're lookin' for him, and he's never going to come back, so don't call again."_

He hung up, and I held the phone to my ear for a few more seconds, listening to the dial tone. "He ain't at Steve's..." I hung the phone back on the hook, sinking down to the ground and looking up at my brother. "Pony, I'm real worried! What it he isn't ba-"

A loud crash silenced me, followed by a curse, and I quickly scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding.

"Jesus Christ, I told ya you shouldn't have drank all that!"

"Steve?" I called out tentatively, walking carefully into the hallway. He was at the end, coming in through the back door and supporting what seemed to be a very drunk Sodapop. He looked at me like a deer caught in headlights and started to stutter, trying to explain the situation. "Soda!"

"Kat, what's-"

"Stay there," I interrupted my brother, who poked his head through the doorway. I didn't want him to see Soda the way that he was. "Just... Stay there until I sort this out."

He nodded without a word, and I ran to Soda and Steve, almost falling flat on my face on the hardwood floors. "What happened?" I hissed at Steve, putting my arm around Soda's waist as he groaned, although I already had an idea, both of them smelled like cheap alcohol. Steve didn't look in such great shape either, he had a swollen lip and a black eye, but he didn't seem as blitzed as my brother.

"I'll explain later, can we get him-"

"H-hey, Kat?" my brother said, trying to lift his head up. I saw traces of puke around his mouth and cringed, but brushed his damp hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah Pepsi?" I asked softly.

"Dar ain't home, right?"

"No baby, he isn't... Come on, let's get you to bed."

Steve and I half dragged, half carried my drunk brother to my bedroom, ignoring his incessant muttered ramblings about God knows what. I left the room to get a towel and a bucket, in case he needed to empty his stomach again, as Steve stripped him down.

As I wiped his sweaty face clean, he started to cry, apologizing for drinking and for fighting with Sandy. He repeated 'I love you' and 'please don't leave me', over and over again, so that told me that he was pretty delirious.

"Shut up Soda," I told him, trying to fight against the tears that were beginning to form. My brother always prided himself about not drinking, but the times when he did, it wasn't pretty. Like myself, he had a low tolerance for alcohol, but once he started he would never stop until someone dragged him away from the drinks. "You're drunk, you don't know what you're talkin' about. Just go to sleep."

I pulled up my chair from my desk and sat by his side, holding his hand, whispering soothingly to him and wiping his face with the towel, until he fell asleep. Steve was leaning against the wall, smoking and looking somewhat sheepish.

"I shoulda kept a better eye on him, sorry about that..." He told me as I shut the door to my bedroom.

"How's Soda?" Pony asked, looking worried when we came into the kitchen. "He's alright, right?"

"He just... Had too much to drink," I answered softly, squeezing his hand. "You'll be sleepin' alone tonight, unless it's alright with Darry that I sleep on your floor."

"You can have the sofa if you want kid," Steve told me, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. "I can sleep on his floor if that's better."

I was quiet for a moment, thinking about it. A brother and sister sleeping in the same room was seen as socially unacceptable after they reached a certain age, but I knew that Steve and Pony didn't get along well, and the former was putting my comfort in front of his. And sleeping in my parents' room was out of the question; I hadn't been in there since their deaths, and had no intention of going in again for a while.

"We'll see what Darry says," I said, looking at the front door and wondering what we were going to say to him. "Say, Pony, go read or watch TV or somethin', I need to talk to Steve."

"Is it about Soda?"

"Baby, please..."

He gave me a somewhat hurt look, but went out of the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a thick book to go lie down on the couch. I grabbed the radio that was on the shelf above the sink and turned it on, just for some background noise. Eddie Cochran's _Nervous Breakdown_ was playing, and I couldn't help a soft sigh from escaping through my lips. I loved him so much. He came to Tulsa once, the year before he died, but we couldn't spare the money to get tickets for Soda, Darry, Papa and me. I had a poster of him in my bedroom, and when I was younger I would dream that we would meet in the streets, he would fall in love with me and we would get married.

Some dreams.

"Can you tell me what happened?" I asked as the song came to an end, and Buddy Holly's _Maybe Baby _came on. "I mean he shows up out of nowhere, pissed off, when he was supposed to be with you, Evie and Sandy. And then, when I asked if something happened between him and Sandy, he just runs off. Turns out she wasn't sick like he told us, but they got into a fight?"

"Well me and Evie went to my car 'cause I forgot somethin'." I raised my eyebrow and he huffed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, we just wanted to have some alone time. Necking in front of your best friend and his gal ain't exactly polite."

"Skip over the gory details," I said, half teasingly and half seriously, putting my chin in my hands.

"Alright, well when we got back to the stables, we was over at the one by the edge of town 'cause Sandy felt like riding today, they were yelling at each other and they just kind of stormed off in their own directions. I tried to talk some sense into Soda while Evie went with Sandy, but it didn't really work out, and Evie was cryin' when I came back, so of course I had to comfort her. Drove her home, went to find Soda after, I think it was right after he found y'all because he started ranting about Greene-"

"You know him too?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah, just some guy that comes to the DX sometimes tryin' to cause trouble. It's nice to get revenge when he comes it to keep his car fixed, we charge him extra, he just don't know it. Won't admit that I'm the best damn mechanic in town either," he scoffed, and looked at his fingernails. "Soda decided he wanted a drink, tried to talk him out of it," he quickly added to my expression, "so we went to Buck's and well, you know how he is when it comes to drinks..."

"That's just great," I said sarcastically, picking up a knife from the counter and running my fingers over the edges. "What the fuck are we going to tell Darry?"

"We?"

"You're the one who took him to that place, not me!"

"He's lax with Soda, ain't he?" He asked as I nodded. "And this is the first time this happened since... Well, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout. I'm sure that he won't be too hacked off about it."

xXxXxX

I didn't admit it to Steve, but he was right. We explained what happened (well, Steve did) as Darry listened, his face free from any emotion. He didn't say anything when Steve finished repeating his story, but went over to my room to check on our brother and stayed there for almost an hour. And then he yelled at me and Pony to get to bed because it was getting late.

I ended up sleeping on the couch and got woken up by Two-Bit as he burst through the front door, nearly knocking it off its hinges. Needless to say, it wasn't a very enjoyable way to wake up.

Two-Bit drove me and Pony to school, picked up Johnny, Kathy and Evie on the way, while Steve stayed at home to look after Soda. Sandy approached me in the hall and asked me of Soda was okay. I have to admit, I answered kind of coolly, but it wasn't hard to tell that she felt bad about what happened. She asked me if it was alright to see Soda, and I kind of made the mistake of saying 'I don't know if he wants to see you'.

In short, it wasn't the best day ever. But on the bright side, no Socs bothered me, and Michael told me that he had something special planned for me that evening.

xXxXxX

A tall, slender girl with platinum blond hair and dark roots entered the restaurant, walking with an air that said she thought that she was better than anyone else on the whole street. Sylvia White, Dally's girl. I haven't seen her in a while, she doesn't go to the same school as me, and she prefers the company of the rougher girls downtown.

"What can I get for you?" I asked, flipping out my notepad to write down her order.

"Oh, I'm not here for food!" She said in a high pitched voice that really annoyed me, leaning against the counter. Well, that's one thing that I didn't miss about her. "I hear that you're dating a Soc!"

"That's not new," I said, rolling my eyes. "If you ain't here for food, what are you here for?"

She scanned the restaurant, and caught Kathy's eye, who was chatting with Evie by the window. "Say we go sit with them?"

I glanced up at the clock behind me, and saw that I only had half an hour left until Michael picked me up. The restaurant wasn't very full, and I figured that since Evie wasn't doing her job, I could afford not to do mine either, but I wasn't about to take any chances. "Peggy!" The redhead turned around and smiled, swaying her hips as she walked over to me. The greasers at the table she was at made no effort to hide the fact that they were staring at her behind, and when she reached me, she turned around and flashed them a wink and a smile.

"What do you need Miss Curtis?"

"I was wonderin' if you could be a real sweetheart and cover for me, I've got half an hour left," I gave her the classic Curtis grin and she smiled back.

"Of course, but you'll owe me."

"Thanks hun," I said, taking off my apron and kissing her cheek. She kissed me back and went to the boys again as I followed Sylvia to my friends' table.

"Hi Sylvia," Kathy greeted warmly enough, but with a slight hint of confusion, "it's been a while."

"Oh, I've been busy, got a lot of free time now that I dropped out."

"You dropped out?" Evie looked really surprised, her bright green eyes wide in disbelief. Sylvia wasn't the smartest girl out there, but we never thought she'd really drop out. "Why?"

"I got bored of the place," she shrugged, taking a sugar packet from the small tin and opening it, taking care not to chip her bright red, perfectly painted nails. "Lots of the stuff they taught was useless anyway, I don't need it for my current job."

I had to stop myself from asking if she secured a job at the local whorehouse, and fake coughed to prevent it from escaping.

"Wow, where are you working?"

"Some clothing place downtown, it's great! Pretty good discounts on the clothes too..."

Kathy glanced at me, and the look in her eyes plainly asked _she's shoplifting, isn't she?_

"But I'm not here for that, I just wanted to talk to Katherine about her new boyfriend and figured that since y'all are so close, she wouldn't mind talkin' with everyone."

"Oh, just get to it Sylvia, I need to change and do my makeup before Michael gets here."

She raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow, biting her bottom lip. "No need to be so impatient Katherine, I'm getting there." She flipped her dyed hair behind her shoulder and wet the tip of her finger, dipped it in the sugar packet, and then put it back in her mouth with a smile playing on her bright red lips. "So I was walking downtown when I happened to come across mister Timothy Shepard and a few of his friends, and we talked for a while-"

"Cut the shit," I said impatiently, rolling my eyes, "who'd you sleep with? Shepard? Walsh? Evans?"

"Aw, it's no fun when you put it that way," she pouted, crossing her arms.

"I'm leaving." I got up and grabbed my book bag that had my dress for the date, but Sylvia held on to my hand, keeping me back.

"Fine, I'll get to the point, just don't leave."

I sat back down, biting the inside of my cheek, and Sylvia grinned in triumph. "To answer your question, it was Walsh, I know how much Ti- okay, fine," she muttered to my glare. "He told me that Tim's younger brother saw your boyfriend in the River Kings' territory, and Tim and him were looking into to it to see if it's true. Turns out, it is! He isn't so clean as people think he-"

"Shut up!" My heart was pounding, and I could feel myself trembling. My breath was starting to become ragged, and Kathy immediately reached over for my hand, but I pulled it away, shaking my head. "That's not true! Michael doesn't do anything that he's not supposed to!"

"Just because someone says that they don't do something, doesn't mean that it's true," she said, shrugging. "I mean, Dallas says that he doesn't sleep with other girls, but I know that's a big fat lie."

"Yeah, but Michael isn't a liar!" I grabbed my book bag again and started to head toward the bathrooms, not wanting to hear any more of what Sylvia had to say.

"Oh, come on, don't you want to know what he's doing?" She asked, running to catch up with me.

"No!" I spun around to face her, my breathing shallow. "Whatever Jimmy or Shepard told you about Michael doing drugs are lies, because he would never do them. Now leave me alone!"

"Sylvia, I think you should go..." Evie said, putting her hand on Sylvia's shoulder. She rolled her eyes, smacking her gum loudly, and studied me.

"You know, I'd rather catch you in bed with Dallas than see you get hurt by that Soc."

I was about to tell her off again, but the phrase shocked me. She'd rather see me in bed with Dally?

I tried to say something comprehensible, but couldn't, all that was coming out of my mouth were detached words and phrases that had no connection to each other.

She was smiling, but there was a hint of pity in her light brown eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She walked away, but turned around after a few steps. "By the way, they think that he's doing weed and acid, just thought I'd tell you at least that."

xXxXxX

"It was probably Shepard she slept with!" I angrily tore off my dress, throwing it into a heap on the less than clean bathroom floor, and grabbing a clean one from my book bag. "He's probably making everything up 'cause he thinks that I'll go crawling back to him. Ha!" Kathy and Evie jumped when I pushed open the stall door with a bang. I ignored them and quickly searched through my bag for my makeup. "Well, that's not going to work 'cause I don't need him anymore. Michael doesn't do drugs." I capped my lipstick and turned around to Evie and Kathy, who exchanged looks. "He doesn't!"

"Just promise us you'll be careful," said Kathy quietly. "_Please_," she added when I started to say something.

I didn't answer and put my things away, then pushed the bathroom door to go outside. All my angry feelings disappeared when I saw Michael in the parking lot, attempting to talk to Steve. Michael's eyes lit up when he saw me, and he quickly scooped me up into his arms, spinning me around before kissing me.

"How was work?"

"Not terribly exciting. And practice?"

"Real great, we think we have a big chance of winning this Sunday. Hi ladies."

"Hi Michael," they replied, and Kathy gave me another warning look that I dismissed.

"Where's Sandy?"

"With Soda," Steve answered stiffly, looking like he wanted nothing more than to leave Michael's company.

"Oh, how is he?" I asked, wrapping my arm around Michael's.

"Didn't get up 'til noon, had a massive headache and just kind of moped around the house until Sandy came over. I stayed around a bit before I was sure that they wouldn't get into another fight."

I let go of Michael and hugged Steve.

"Jesus Christ kid, wha-"

"Thanks for looking over him."

"I... Damn, it was nothin', he's my best friend." He hugged me back briefly then let go, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Go have fun. And Darry called the station and told me to tell you that he doesn't want you back after ten thirty."

"That's more than enough time," Michael grinned. "See you at school."

I waved at my friends as Michael opened the door of his Corvette for me. He turned the key in the ignition, bringing the car to life with a rumble, and the radio turned on, the announcer telling the listener that the Beatles' _All You Need Is Love _was next.

"They're great," he said, kind of absently as he rolled off the parking lot onto the street.

"What?"

"The Beatles," he nodded at the radio. "I saw them last year. They played their last show in San Francisco at the end of August, it's a shame that school already started, otherwise I probably would have gotten a plane ticket to see them." He sighed, tapping his fingers on the wheel to the beat of the song. "Yeah, it was crazy, but man, can they play a song."

I didn't make any comment and stared out the window. Despite it being a school night, plenty of people were out on the streets, getting out of cars to only get into another one a minute later, lining up outside movie theaters, making out on the hoods of cars. Shouting and screaming and fighting, but having the time of their lives. Me and the girls would drive around the Ribbon aimlessly, leaving whoever's car we had in a parking lot and getting into five other cars over the course of the evening. Sometimes we would all pile into Steve or Two-Bit's car, sitting on each other's laps because there wasn't enough space for all of us to sit down, and we would disperse into various groups to get back together when it was time to go home.

"So I thought we could go grab a bite at Jay's before I show you your surprise," he said, flashing me a grin.

"I thought you knew I don't like surprises!" I exclaimed, though I couldn't keep myself from smiling.

"You'll love it, I promise." He leaned over and kissed my nose, then wrapped an arm around me. I laid my head on his shoulder, gently nuzzling my face in the crook of his neck.

xXxXxX

After Jay's (which was jack full of Socs), Michael asked me to tie a bandana around my head and to keep it on until he said so. We drove for about twenty minutes, with Michael asking me questions about my life to distract me from asking him about where we were going, though I was still surprised when the car finally came to a stop.

"No, keep that on!" He laughed, swatting my hands away from the bandana. "Just a minute more, I promise." The door opened a couple of seconds later, and Michael took my hand in his. "Careful now, the ground isn't exactly even."

I could tell that we were no longer in the city when I stepped outside; it was quiet and there was the faint sound of crickets. "Where are we?" I asked as Michael led me away from the car. He hushed me, but I could hear the laughter behind it.

"Couple more steps... are you steady?" He let go of my hand and less than two breaths later, I felt his hands against my cheeks, and he took off the bandana. I momentarily forgot to breathe as I took in the sight before me. We were on a hill, just on the outskirts of Tulsa, and from where we were, we could see everything. The lights from streetlights and houses and cars flickered merrily in the darkness, and there was one part near the middle that split the city in half that shone brightly: the Ribbon. It was more or less a straight line that divided the East from the West, but it was the greasers who had control over the street.

"It's so beautiful!" I sighed, turning around to face him. "This is the surprise?"

"It's nothing big," he said with a sheepish grin, "I just thought that you'd like it. And," he added, moving behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist, "it's nothing compared to you."

I was glad for the darkness because I was blushing something bad, and I turned my head slightly, pressing my lips to his. "Thank you."

"You want to sit down?" He nodded at the ground, where he'd spread out a blanket. I giggled and curled my legs under me as I sat down. There was the warm, end of summer feel in the air that told me that fall was coming. And the beginning of fall meant that it was going to be mine and Soda's birthday. "So, I kind of wanted to talk to you about something..."

"What?" I tried not to sound too shocked or surprised, but my heart was beginning to beat at a rate that warned me of trouble.

"It's nothing bad, don't worry sweetheart," he said softly, brushing my hair out of my eyes. "Just about a couple of things that I've heard..." He sighed, looking up at the stars that twinkled above us. "You and Shepard-"

"There was never anything going on between us," I interrupted, talking a bit too quickly. "I promise. I mean... I was messed up after my parents died, I just wanted to feel somewhat loved, and he was the person that I went to. But I never... never did it with him. I did some things, but never..."

"Okay," he sounded relieved, and wrapped his arm tightly around my shoulders. "I just heard some things and I wanted to hear it from you. So there was never anything going on with you two?"

"We never went steady or anything if that's what you're wondering." I felt so uncomfortable talking about Tim with Michael. He was the last person I wanted to think about, nevertheless talk about.

"I thought you still had feelings for him," he said, looking away. "I heard he pushed you out of the way when there was that fight at the Dingo and that he saved you a couple times from getting jumped, and I just thought-"

"I'm not going to leave you for him," I whispered, putting my hand on his cheek and making him look at me. Despite the fact that there was hardly any light, his eyes still shone, and a smile was playing on his lips.

"I like you a lot Katherine," he said quietly, "a whole lot."

"I like you a lot too..." I flicked my eyes over to his lips and before I could look at him again, his lips were on mine, his hands firmly on my hips. I smiled softly, tilting my head, and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, bringing our bodies closer together.

He pulled away before the kiss could get too heated, and reached inside his varsity jacket, taking out a silver cigarette case.

"Do you mind?" he asked, just as he was about to open the case. I shook my head, still with the feeling of his lips on mine. He opened the case, took out a cigarette and a lighter, and offered one to me. "This isn't your usual cigarette, it's all natural, you can only get these in San Francisco. No risk of lung cancer or anything."

I declined and he shrugged, sticking the sweet between his lips and lighting it. I immediately noticed that it didn't smell like the cigarettes I was used to, the smell was much nearer to something like... burning sage, or something like that. We would always throw some in our New Year's bonfire, to ward off the evil of the past year and start the new one afresh.

"Is that sage?"

Michael stiffened for a second, but quickly relaxed as he blew the smoke out. As he did so I also noticed that it was thicker than regular cigarette smoke. "Not quite sure... My friends would get me these, all they told me was that they're better than the cigarettes you buy in stores."

"They don't sell those?" I was shocked. If those were all natural and didn't pose any risk of cancer, why didn't they sell them?

He shook his head, laughing at my reaction. "Nope, you have to make these yourself. It's pretty easy anyway, all my friends had to do was go to the woods an hour away and they'd have everything they need to roll these. Are you sure you don't want a puff?"

"Oh, fine." I took the cigarette from him and inhaled, coughing slightly as I blew the smoke out. It was definitely a lot stronger than regular cigarettes, but it also tasted better, though there was still a slight hint of tobacco. I took another puff, trying to keep the smoke in longer, and giggled as I exhaled. "It tastes good."

"Told you," he grinned, taking it from me. "You want your own?"

xXxXxX

I don't know if it was the fact that I was alone with Michael for the first time, or if there was something in my cigarette, but I felt so much lighter after smoking a second cigarette. It was like I was floating, and I would laugh at the smallest things. Michael was more open than he ever was, and was definitely getting more touchy than before, but I didn't push him away. Everything felt a lot slower, but my sense of touch was magnified, and every time he kissed me, ran his fingers through my hair, I wanted more, I wanted everything that he had to offer to me.

Michael ran his fingers through my hair, bringing my face closer to his. My breathing was ragged as we kissed, and I ground my hips against his lightly, pressing my chest against his. Deep down, I knew that what I was doing was wrong, because we'd only been going steady for a short time, but I craved his touch, and at the moment I would have been perfectly content with staying there the rest of my life with him and never leaving.

He moved his hands out of my hair, and traced light patterns down my back before reaching the top of my ass and squeezing it, bucking his hips up.

"Michael!" I pulled away, shocked and slightly embarrassed by what he did. But I had to admit, need surged through my body as he did that, and my center was starting to throb slightly.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, kissing me again. "But you're just so... I fucking want you..."

Heat coursed through me as he cursed, and I bit the inside of my cheek, blushing. Keeping his eyes on mine, he moved his hand up my thigh, a smile playing on his lips. As he pushed the material of my dress up, I blinked and shook my head, the reality of the situation hitting me. All we had done so far was make out; I didn't want to move too fast for fear that he would leave me.

"Michael, we shouldn't... We've only... This is-"

"But we're going steady," he whispered, kissing my neck and moving his hand slightly higher. "This is what couples are supposed to do."

"But-"

My center was throbbing, and I closed my eyes tightly, clenching my thighs together, but he pushed them apart, biting down on my neck.

"You like me, don't you Kat?" His voice was soft, but I could hear the need and the lust, and I knew then that he wouldn't take no as an answer.

"I do, I really do," I answered, slightly desperately, "but I don't think-"

"Please," he said quietly, "you know we both want this."

He was at my panties and was playing with the soft material, pressing his fingers against me. I lowered my head, moaning softly as feelings of pleasure began to build up inside of me. With his free hand, Michael lifted my head and pressed his lips to mine, and I nervously let him slip his fingers inside of me.


	15. Chapter 15

**************Rated M for sex outside of marriage, rape, swearing, abusive relationships, violent deaths, underage drinking and smoking and war.  
I do not own _The Outsiders._  
**

He told me he loved me.

He took me out the following evenings to the same hill on the outskirts of town. We did the same things as Monday; smoke, talk and kiss... sometimes more.

When he told me he loved me, it took me by surprise and I blurted it back to him. It was only until after I put my clothes back on and he dropped me off at home that I realized what I'd said. Did I really love him? I've only ever told Dally that, and even then our relationship was one in the loosest of terms.  
When Michael held my hand in the halls or carry my books, I felt like I was on top of the world and no one could hurt me. I loved it when he secretly kissed me when no one was looking, and how tightly he held me when we were alone. He was so skillful with his fingers that I'd cry out his name in pure bliss before cuddling next to him afterwards. But was it really him that I loved, or was it his actions?

His friends hated me and made no effort to hide of hiding it when Michael wasn't around. On the other hand, Darry was thrilled that I was dating Michael, and was always up to greet him when he dropped me off. I always felt awkward when they would talk; Michael would be his usual smiling self, acting as though we just went to the movies, but I would feel the wetness in my panties and try not to let what _really_ happened show on my face. I was worried that if Darry found out what Michael and I did he would make me break up with him, and I didn't want that.

I was never sure what to do when he would start to move his hand up my thigh, it didn't seem right to me. But I didn't protest or make any move to stop him; I felt like if I did, he would think that I didn't like him, which was far from the truth. I was used to the sort of guys who would do their thing, then forget about the girl, but I felt like Michael wasn't one of those guys. He cared about me, and I didn't want to heighten the chance of him leaving me, just because I let him know me intimately too soon. He knew what he was doing, and I loved it, but a small part of me thought that it didn't feel right.

I didn't tell anyone what we did when he took me out; I kept it to just talking and kissing, but for some reason no one seemed to believe me.

People had stopped trying to convince me that he was on drugs, or that he was dealing them. Jimmy had taken to ignore me every time I passed him, and Curly Shepard would give me looks like he couldn't believe how dumb I was for not believing them. As for Soda and Two-Bit, both only really spoke to me if they had to.

Sandy was acting pretty weird too lately. She wasn't there for most of Tuesday, but she looked really sad and kind of sick when I saw her. She told me that she thought she had some sort of bug, so we didn't press the issue further.

"Excuse me, Mr. McCoy?" Mr. Syme poked his head through the classroom door, and I looked up from my history work with interest. "Can I borrow Steven and Katherine for a minute

"Take them," he answered, giving the students a quick glance before returning back to explaining the homework. I glanced at Steve, who shrugged, and followed him out of the classroom, ignoring the looks we got. Usually, any students who got taken out of class either meant that they were in big trouble, had very good news, or very bad news. I couldn't think of anything that I had done to make Mr. Syme mad, and if something had happened to me, it probably would have been the secretary that would've come for me. And if Steve was involved...

"How are you sir?" I asked as Steve closed the door behind us.

"I'm very good, thank you, and you two?"

"We're good," Steve answered, shrugging.

"I'm sorry to take you out in the middle of class, but I finished grading your essays, and you two got the best grades-"

"Really?" I beamed, then covered my mouth with my hands, realizing that I interrupted him. "I'm sorry sir!"

"It's alright Miss Curtis," he smiled. "But yes, really. I was wondering if it would be okay with you two if I could copy your essays and use them as examples so we can discuss them in class. They would, of course, remain anonymous unless you wish to show your name."

"I think I'd rather keep it anonymous," I said. I didn't need any more attention directed to me.  
Steve agreed, and thanked Mr. Syme.

"You shouldn't be thanking me, you both did wonderful jobs on your essays. And I'd like to congratulate you on how hard you worked."

"Thank you sir," we said at the same time, smiling.

"I won't keep you from your class much longer, I'll see you in an hour."

We said bye to him as he went down the hallway, and Steve opened the door for me, a gesture that surprised me.

"Ladies first," he grinned. I hit him with a smile as I went into the classroom, and almost skipped back to my seat, laughing at Evie's expression.

"You two look happy."

"Best grades on the essays in English!" Evie and Kathy's shocked expressions almost made me convulse into giggles while Steve coughed, biting back a laugh.

"That's great!" Kathy said, her eyes lighting up as she smiled. "I bet he's real proud of you two. Oh, Kit-Kat, Darry's going to be so proud of you!"

I beamed with pride, tapping my foot against the desk in excitement. "I just can't believe it!"

xXxXxX

"Congrats kid," Steve said with a grin, opening the door to English for me. "I know you're a good writer, but I wasn't expectin' you to have the best grade. Hell, when Syme told us tha' you and me got the best grades, I 'bout fell over."

I giggled, and set my stuff down on a desk, leaning against it. "What did you write about?"

"Maudie's relationship to the Finches and Maycomb, you?"

"How the children grow up over the course of the novel and their relationship to Boo Radley. Spent a shit ton of time re-reading over parts, I nearly got to the point that I felt like Jem and Scout were my own siblings."

"When I saw tha', I was like 'hell no!' That sounded like the toughest prompt," he laughed, running a hand through his curls.

"Just required a lot of re-reading and analyzing," I shrugged, twirling a pencil between my fingers.

"Exactly, more work."

I rolled my eyes, but a giggle escaped from my lips, and he grinned, rubbing my hair.

"Hey darling." Michael appeared behind me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Hi Steve."

"Michael." He gave a curt nod and stroked my hair again. "See ya in bio kid."

I pushed Michael's arm off me and stood on my tiptoes, pressing my lips to Steve's cheek. "Good job."  
He turned a deep red, punching me in the arm, and it was my turn to blush. "Thanks, you too."

"What was that about?" Michael asked with a slight accusatory tone when Steve walked away.

"He got the best grade on a test," I shrugged, rubbing my cheeks. "That's all."

xXxXxX

"That was a really good essay." I looked up, and saw Cherry smiling at me shyly. Steve and I decided to say that it was us who wrote the essays, and, needless to say, our classmates were shocked. I thanked Cherry quietly, and poked my somewhat crusty macaroni and cheese, biting back a groan. For the past week and a half, I had also been sitting with Michael and his friends rather than my own. They didn't say anything about it, but Ponyboy's glances at me when we were at home betrayed his feelings. Even though I didn't eat lunch with them, we still laughed in the back of the classroom like usual, and Evie and Kathy were their usual selves at work, giggly and all smiles as they told me the latest greaser gossip.

Michael's friends girlfriends would never be as close to me as Evie, Sandy and Kathy were, and their hostile attitudes showed it. Cherry and Marcia made efforts to talk to me and include me in conversations, but it didn't work out so swell most of the time because their friends would try to pull them back into their conversations and ignore me. I knew they were trying to drive me away from them, but I stood my ground. If they were greaser girls, I would have said something, but they weren't, so I sat back and took their snobbish attitudes.

"Listen, Marcia and I were wondering if you'd like to come with us to the football game. You can go find your friends once the game starts, but it's a sort of tradition that the girlfriends meet up with the players before the game."

My stomach clenched at that. I remember overhearing Darry talking about that with his buddies once. I had also heard something else from a less reliable source, but couldn't stop myself from asking Cherry about it.

"Is... Is it true that you have to... you know..."

Her eyes grew wide and her face flushed as she shook her head quickly. "No, of course not! We just make an appearance to release some of the excess energy the boys have, so they don't go off and kill the opposing team."

She said that all very fast and with tainted cheeks, and I nodded thinking, _yeah... sure_, stirring around my macaroni. Michael wasn't at the table yet. After congratulating me and Steve on getting the best grades, he left in a hurry, saying that he needed to check something out in the library, and that I should go to the cafeteria without him. He had been gone for about twenty minutes and I was starting to get kind of worried. If he was going to work in the library instead of eating, he could have told me and I would have gladly gone to the corner store and had lunch with my friends.

"Hey sweetheart," a soft voice spoke to me, and someone kissed me on the cheek. Michael was standing behind me and I smiled, scooting over so he could sit down. His cheeks were flushed and his hair was kind of messy, and I ran my hand through it, trying to put it back in place. He took my hand and closed it gently, pressing his lips to my knuckles, a grin playing on his lips. "I'm sorry I took so long, the librarian was having a hard time finding the book I needed."

"What did you need?" I asked, entwining my fingers with his.

"Something about the elite English society during Victorian times," he answered, rolling his eyes. "Nothing terribly exciting." He looked at Cherry who gave him a small smile.

"For history?"

"I hate Simmons." Michael rolled his eyes and Cherry giggled, nodding. "Sorry, did I interrupt a conversation?"

"Oh, no. I was just asking Katherine if she'd like me to take her to the football game."

"Going to come give me some good luck before the game?" He whispered, squeezing my waist as his warm breath tickling my ear. I giggled softly and kissed his cheek, running my fingers through his hair again.

"Sounds like a plan."

xXxXxX

"Darry!" I called out, running out into the living room. "I'm ready! Where are you?" Two-Bit hardly looked up from the television and Steve ignored me, throwing his cards at a laughing Sodapop.

"He's in the kitchen hon," my brother laughed, avoiding Steve's punch. "What do you need?"

"He told me he wanted to talk," I answered, swatting the back of his head. "And stop cheatin'!"

He gave me a shocked look and Steve almost fell back laughing, clutching his stomach. "Even she says you ain't a fair player!"

I left them to their game and found Darry in the dining room with Ponyboy. Both were shifting uncomfortably, and my older brother nodded to an empty chair. When I sat down, he cleared his throat awkwardly, and folded his hands in front of him.

"Since Kat's going to a party and Soda's takin' you out, I figured I'd talk to you 'bout a couple of things."

He took a swing of the glass of water on the table and looked at us. "I'll just talk about the basics then me and Pone can talk in private."

"Oh!" I was blushing something fierce and tried not to bury my face in my hands. "Why-"

"You're going to a Soc party. I know they look clean and all but there's a lot of things that happen."

"But I already know about that stuff! Mama didn't leave me in the dark you know!" I just wanted to run out of the room. I did _not_ want to have that conversation with Darry.

"Use pro-"

I squealed with embarrassment, burying my face in my hands. "I'm not ready to do those things with Michael! And even if I was, I'm not gonna risk getting pregnant."

Darry took a deep breath and sighed in relief, seemingly satisfied with my answer. "Fine," he said, shooing me off. "I'll drive you over in fifteen minutes."

"Do I have to have this conversation?" Pony whined, visibly distressed. "I've heard-"

"Whatever you've heard from Curly Shepard is nothing but a bunch of shit." Pony and I flinched and stared at our older brother with wide eyes, as his swearing was as rare as Soda getting mad. Pony gave me a quick, pleading look, begging me to save him from the impending conversation. But Darry ordered me out and I gave our younger brother an apologetic look.

"What did Dar want?" Soda asked, resting his feet on Two-Bit's head, but the older greaser pushed him away.

My color was almost back to normal, but his question made me blush again and I shook my head. "Ain't nothing important."

"Shoot, he didn't give you _the talk,_ did he?"

At those words, Steve and Two-Bit shot their heads up, a shit eating grin on the former's face and a shocked expression on the latter's.

"Shit, you're seventeen, you should know all about that by now!" Two-Bit exclaimed, but a yell from the dining room interrupted him.

"Darry, I already know that, you don't need to draw me a mental picture!"

"I wonder if he's talking about the time he caught the cheerleader under the bleachers," Steve sniggered. "That was the best moment of the year."

My brothers came out of the kitchen, both with red faces, and Darry turned to Sodapop. "Don't let him be alone with a girl. Come on Kat."

xXxXxX

We could hear the music before we were saw the house, and Darry bopped his head to the beat. "Them parties were good… Stay away from the booze and I'll come to pick you up at eleven thirty. Tell Michael I say hi."

"Will do," I smiled, kissing him on the cheek.

I found Michael within a minute of entering the house, and he greeted me with a wet kiss. He already seemed pretty boozed up, but then again, who isn't at those kind of parties? He introduced me to a few friends from outside of school, and for the most part they hardly looked at me, too wrapped up in their conversations about football, the war and whatever shit the government has done lately. There was the whole football team and the cheerleaders, but I didn't know most people. In fact, I was surprised by the sheer amount there was.

Before I knew it, I had lost Michael and a cup of Cola mixed with some sort of alcohol was pushed into my hand. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable being left on my own, surrounded by people I didn't know. The music playing wasn't what I would listen to if I was with my friends, there was way too much booze for my liking, and the smell of burning sage was ever present throughout the house. The smell made me crave for one of Michael's special cigarettes and I decided to search for him to ask him for one. But just as I made an excuse to leave the boring conversation with Cherry and some other Soc, I was suddenly pulled away at the waist.

I almost screamed, but was cut off by a pair of lips. From the somewhat rough and sloppy way the person was kissing, I knew that it was Michael, and threw my arms around his shoulders, grinning under his lips. He tasted like alcohol, but, at the moment, I didn't care.

"H-havin' fun?" He asked, slurring his words slightly, pulling me close to him.

"I don't know many people, but the party isn't bad." It wasn't really a lie, the party wasn't bad, but I wasn't exactly having the time of my life.

"You want to take this party upstairs?" His voice was low, and I had to lean in closer to hear him over the music. His grin was clear though, and I took his hand, letting him lead me upstairs as he pushed past people drinking and smoking. I was craving his touch; I hadn't seen him since he greeted me a couple of hours earlier. Despite how he was a bit of a wet kisser, all I wanted was to feel his lips on mine and his hands over my body and for him to make me feel good.

After he closed and locked the door, somewhat muting the music, he just stared at me for a couple of seconds, his eyes going over my body. When our eyes locked, a grin made its way to his lips, and he licked them, nodding softly.

"I fucking love you."

He quickly closed the distance between us before I could respond and cupped my face, pressing his lips to mine hard. I inhaled sharply through my nose, but kissed back, running my fingers through his soft hair, bringing his face closer to mine. His hands trailed down my back before reaching my ass, and in a quick movement, he cupped each cheek and ground his crotch against mine, groaning into the kiss.

I could feel a blush quickly making its way to my cheeks, but I ignored it, nervously moving my feet and pressing my chest closer to his. He smirked under my lips and squeezed my ass again, slipping his tongue into my mouth as I moaned. My heart was beating quickly, and I could feel myself getting aroused.  
He pulled the zipper of my skirt down and I stepped out of it, pulling away from him. He avoided my gaze as he got down to his knees and pushed my panties down, nudging my knees apart, before quickly inserting two of his fingers inside of me.

_I shouldn't be doing this, I shouldn't be doing this. _I tried to tell myself._ Oh my god I have to tell him no. I've already gone farther than I should have with him. This isn't right._

But I pushed that thought away, willing myself to enjoy what was happening. When I felt his tongue against me, I didn't feel anything; my mind was numb. Michael alternated between his fingers and tongue, but I hardly felt it. And I hardly realized the fact that I was beginning to unbutton my blouse. My fingers moved automatically, pushing the buttons through the holes, and as I put the blouse on his bed, Michael kissed me again, harder than he ever had before. His tongue pressed against my lips and he forced me to grant him entrance. As I tasted myself on him, as he rolled his tongue inside my mouth, he undid my bra, moving one of his hands under the cup to squeeze my breast.

I didn't gasp or flinch as the cold air hit me, as he bent down again, kissing, sucking and pinching on my nipples.

_TELL HIM NO!_

"Do you have a condom?" He asked, his eyes bloodshot and glazed over, looking over me with a lopsided smirk.

I quickly shook my head, trying not to tremble as he cursed under his breath. He took his shirt off and unbuttoned his jeans, tossing them aside on the bed. He groaned quietly as he slipped his underwear off, stroking himself, his eyes half lidded.

He closed the space between us and pulled me close to him, biting on my bottom lip and tugging on my hair. I let out a slight protest, and I thought he would ask what was wrong as he pulled away, but what came out of his mouth wasn't what I was expecting.

"Give me a blowjob."

"Mi-Michael, this isn't-"

"I don't care."

He pushed my head down and thrust himself into my mouth before I could take a breath, and I inhaled sharply through my nose. He twisted his fingers in my hair, taking a fistfull of it as he thrust himself into my mouth. I wrapped my hand around him, pulling away to take a breath, but I hardly had the time to before he pushed my head towards him, and tears filled my eyes as he hit the back of my throat. I gagged, and he ignored me, his thrusts getting more rapid and sloppy as his breathing got harsher.  
His grip on my hair tightened as he came with a low groan, but he released me, pulling away and running his hand over himself.

"I think I'm good."

He grabbed his underwear from his bed and quickly put them on, and I turned away from him as I pulled on my bra, shutting my eyes against the tears that were forming.

"I'm sorry about this."

He was at the door, and I turned my head to look at him as I put on my blouse. He was trying to straighten out his hair, and I just nodded, turning away. The door shut and I bit back a sob, wiping my eyes.

_I'm not going to cry; he wanted that and I couldn't say no to that._

I looked into his mirror, sniffing, and tried to sort my appearance out. My hair was messy, my eyes were bloodshot, and my lips were swollen.

_I wonder what Tim would say about this... He wouldn't have done that, he would have asked me if I was okay with what we were doin' if he saw that I was uncomfortable or not responding... _

I shook my head, rubbing my eyes. I couldn't afford to think about Tim; he wasn't the one I was going steady with. It wasn't rape, no, because we didn't have sex. I had no right to be upset about what happened, because he hadn't taken my virginity.

I opened the door and noticed that Michael was outside, leaning against the wall.

"You okay?"

I nodded, unable to speak, and he smiled, wrapping an arm around my waist and kissing me.

"That's good, there's some people I want to introduce you to."

His friends turned out to be some college students from Okie City, and I just nodded politely, trying to smile as they greeted us. I tuned out the conversation, but I caught words and phrases, and I could tell from their loud laughs and less than polite looks that they were talking about me.

"Try getting her alone when you aren't as soused Andrews," one of them laughed when I was looking away, trying to figure out what time it was. "Maybe then you'll see if she's really as good as what you heard."

My face burned at his words, and I clenched my fists, closing my eyes. I'd have to talk to Michael Monday about this. He loved me. He told me so. He wouldn't want me just because I fooled around before I met him...

"What time is it?" I asked, suddenly realizing the smell of sage. Michael looked at me confused for a moment, a cigarette halfway to his mouth, then checked his watch.

"Almost eleven thirty," he answered, "why?"

"I have to leave in a couple of minutes..."

"Oh, really?" He looked kind of sad, then cupped my face and kissed me, the taste of sage and alcohol

strong on his lips. "I love you baby, remember that. Tell Darry I say hi."

"Bye sweetheart," his friends laughed as I walked away, but I ignored them, losing myself in the crowd.  
Darry was waiting in front of the house, talking to some people that I vaguely recognized as his old friends from high school.

"Where's Michael?" He asked after saying bye to his friends, opening the truck door and getting in.

"Inside," I said, trying not to sound too down. "He was really into a conversation with some friends and I didn't want to take him away. He says hi."

I closed the door, and he started the car, nodding. The Supremes' _Stop! In The Name of Love _was playing, and I looked out the window, sighing as Diana Ross's voice filled the car.

_Stop in the name of love_  
_Before you break my heart (Baby, think it over)_  
_Stop in the name of love (Think it ov-_

"Katherine?" Darry asked suddenly, his voice stern, but slightly strained. "What's that smell?"

I sniffed, but smelled nothing other than the cigarettes and alcohol. "What smell?"

"It's... earthy..." He sniffed again and looked at me, his eyes hard. "Don't mess with me Katherine, what is it?"

"You mean the sage?" I asked, surprised. "Michael and his friends smoke it."

"Sage?" His eyes were narrowed, and I nodded, feeling confused. "Did you smoke any of it?"

"No." I could feel my eyes widening, and I wondered why he looked so mad about it. He somewhat relaxed as he heard my answer, and turned his eyes back on the road. "Darry, why are you asking?"

"No reason."

I felt like he was lying, but didn't press it, and looked out the window, putting my chin in my hands, and tried not to think about Michael or Tim, but not to much success, especially with the latter.

xXxXxX

"Can I use the phone?" I asked Darry when we walked into the house.

"Sure," he answered, giving me a confused look.

I was so confused. Michael was my boyfriend, and couples did those sort of things, right? Why was I scared then? Why did I cry? And why the hell did I keep thinking of Tim?

The answer came to me when I was about to dial Tim's number. Michael forced me into what we did. With Tim, it was consensual and we could easily talk and joke with each other after. But since Michael first began to touch me intimately, I had my doubts about it, and I felt like talking to him was harder. When he took me out, dinner and our talks would get shorter, and then time I spent with my skirt up became longer. But Michael was my boyfriend; I didn't want to refuse him and risk him getting mad at me.

"Kit-Kat?" Soda asked, coming into the kitchen. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I gave him a small smile as not to show him that I was lying. But my twin frowned, and came closer, looking into my eyes.

"No you're not," he said, "something happened at the party."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Soda, I... It's nothing bad, I promise. I just have a bit of a stomachache."

"You can talk to me Kitty," he said softly, "I'm always here for you, no matter what."

"Thanks." I gave him a weak smile and a hug, closing my eyes against the tears that were beginning to form. I wiped my eyes hurriedly when he let go, hoping that he wouldn't notice anything. He kissed the top of my head and went out of the kitchen, calling Darry's name. I took a deep breath, and picked the phone off the receiver, then began to dial the Shepard's number.

"Bryon, I told you not to call me anymore! Now leave me alone!" Angela sounded pissed off, and I could tell that she was about to hang up. There was yelling in the background, so I assumed that her parents were fighting with each other or with one of the boys. I called her name before she hung up, hoping that Darry didn't hear me, he wasn't too fond of her. "Kat?"

"Yeah," I said, leaning against the kitchen wall, "it'd be nice if ya didn't immediately make assumptions about who's callin'."

"Bryon just called and I thought… Whatever, what do you want?"

"Is Tim there?"

"I thought you were dating Mister Soc," she answered. "Why would you need Tim?"

"I am, but this has nothing to do with him. Listen, I really need to talk to your brother, is he home?"

"He's out with some of his gang, I think that Walsh guy is with him. You know Kat, he's real cute, you two would look real good together!" Something crashed in the background, and there was silence for a couple of seconds before a female voice began to scream at the top of her lungs; I could pretty much hear everything that she was saying, just as if she was next to me.

"Thanks for your thoughts," I told her, sighing. "Do you know when Tim's gonna to be back?"

"How the hell am I s'posed to know? I ain't his fuckin' secretary."

God, could that girl swear. If I spoke that like with Darry around I'd get yelled at so bad. "Alright, thanks Angel. See you around."

I didn't wait for her to say bye, and hung up. I leaned my head against the wall for a second, then slowly made my way out of the kitchen.

"Hey, Kat, you want to watch TV with us for a while?" Ponyboy called out to me.

"No thanks," I answered, "I'm really tired, I'm just going to head to bed."

I closed the door to my bedroom, making sure to lock it, not wanting one of my brothers to come check on me. Knowing them, it would be Soda who would come in. I kicked off my kitten heels, throwing them to the corner of my room, then went to my bed, under the covers, fully clothed. Flicking on my bedside light, I grabbed a comic from the pile on my bedside table, hoping that it wasn't an Archie one. It was one of Mom and Dad's old Captain America comics.

They were Dad's favorites, and when he was shipped off to the Pacific, Mom continued to buy them every week and read them to feel somewhat closer to him, and reassure herself that he was safe. She would sacrifice her Saturday movie money to buy two issues, one for herself and another to send to him. When he came back at the end of the war, they looked through all the comics together, and he marked every one with the place he was at, while she put the letter he sent her at the back of the issue. Captain America recently became popular again a couple of years ago, and Mom and Dad gave me and Soda their old issues. When I read them, it made me feel invincible against everything in the world, and, for a short while, it was like Mom and Dad were still alive. I had the letters in a box at the bottom of my closet, and I've never looked at them since they gave me and Soda the comics. Mom said I could read them if I wanted to, but I felt like I was infringing on her private life, so I never have.

But not even Captain America kicking Nazi ass could make me forget what happened that evening. Every kiss, every touch, every word and every tear was fixed into my mind. I could still see his face as he closed the bedroom door, apologizing for what happened. I could still feel his lips on mine and his arm wrapped around my waist a few minutes after I walked out of his bedroom as he showed me off to his friends. With a slight cry I threw the comic across the room and shut off the light, burying my head under my pillow. I just wished that this was all some extended nightmare, and that I was still asleep and that the party hadn't happened yet. But I knew that I was just lying to myself; everything that had happened that evening had happened, and it would take me a long time to forget it.

**What happened to Kat is what happened to me at the end of January of this year. What happened after to me isn't what happened to Kat, but I will be basing her reaction off how my own, and my friends who went through similar experiences. Also, rape and sexual assault were treated much differently back in the Sixties than it is today. See my profile for additional information and comments about this.  
Anyway, I would like to thank Entangler for reading this over, and all my reviewers and subscribers, I adore seeing the emails that say I have a new review or subscriber (: I appreciate any constructive criticism, and I hope you're all doing well.  
Also, I'm in my last year of school, and will soon be drowning in homework, exams and college applications, so updates won't really be consistent. But the wait will be worth it :D**


	16. Chapter 16

**New chappy :D I apologize for the wait, school has been taking up so much of my time. With college apps, essays, and spending a Saturday morning or two every month for an exam, I haven't had much time to write. I spent a ton of time working on this though, because I wrote it a while ago, and Entangler helped a lot, so I hope you like it (: Thanks to my reviewers, subscribers, and silent readers, and of course to Entangler, y'all are great :D if you have any suggestions or anything, I'll be glad to read them (:  
**

* * *

"Fuck," I moaned, turning over onto my stomach, but only getting tangled in my sheets and falling on the floor. "Fuuuck..."

I sat up, throwing the sheets off of me, putting my face in my hands.

I felt like shit. I have never felt so used in my life. But I kind of asked for it, didn't I? I went to the bedroom with Michael; I didn't really try to push him away.

"Goddamnit!" I grabbed a book off of my night stand and threw it at the door. I didn't want to see Michael; I didn't want to see anyone.

I got up, kicking my sheets aside, when I realized I was still wearing my clothes from the night before. Suddenly, I felt disgusted. All I wanted was to get out of them and not think about what happened.

xXxXxX

"You're up early," Darry said when I came into the kitchen from the bathroom, dressed in a loose black shirt and worn, light blue jeans.

"Yeah." I grabbed a bowl, a spoon and a box of cereal, and banged them on the table.

"Hey, calm down, Steve's still sleepin'. What's with the bad mood?"

I took a spoonful of cereal, taking my time chewing. "Just ain't feelin' so well." I answered, looking out the window.

His face fell, and he awkwardly wrapped an arm around me. "Don't take more than two aspirin. Did you have fun at the party?"

I shrugged, stirring around my cereal. "I didn't know a lot of people."

"It was fun though?"

"It was alright."

He gave me a smile, reaching over to pat my back. "I'm really glad that you're looking at boys who aren't from our side of town. Michael seems like a good guy."

I had to bite my tongue from telling him what really happened, and Soda saved me from saying anything that I would regret.

"Hi Dar, hi Kat," he grinned, bouncing into the room, his DX shirt unbuttoned. He grabbed a spoon from off the counter and scooped up a mouthful from my bowl.

"Soda, I'm not sure that spoon was clean..." Darry began, but my twin waved him off.

"The cereal tastes good, that's all that matters."

We finished breakfast together, talking quietly as not to wake Steve up, who started worked later than Soda. My twin told us about how a group of girls tried to pick up Ponyboy, but he was too shy to go up to them. Even though I had no trouble picturing it, I had to force myself to laugh, though maybe I overdid it when some food came spilling out of my mouth, nearly making Darry give me a lecture on how it wasn't ladylike to laugh with my mouth full.

xXxXxX

"Alright, we're off," my oldest brother said, getting up. "Say hi to Michael for me if you see him."

I just nodded, and waved at them as they went out the front door, before I buried my head in my arms with a groan. Michael. Michael. He's my boyfriend, my boyfriend who took advantage of me.

"Mother _fucker_!" I swiped my arm across the table, knocking the empty bowl and spoon to the ground.

"Kid?" I looked up and saw Steve, looking exhausted and his hair all over the place. He had a cut above his right eyebrow, a black eye and a bruise on his neck. He wasn't wearing a jacket, so I could see the black and blue marks that covered his arms; his father and him had probably got into a another fight during the night. But I felt too bad to ask him if he wanted me to get the first aid kit. Knowing him, he would refuse it anyway.

"I'm not a kid," I muttered, picking up what I threw to the floor, putting them in the sink.

"Fine, Katherine," he sighed, running a hand through his dark, ungreased hair. "What's wrong?"

"Does it fuckin' look like I'm okay?" I snapped, going to the living room and pulling on my shoes. He followed me, leaning in the doorway.

"I... Do you want to talk abou' it?"

That was unlike Steve, he usually didn't care about how I felt, and he provoked me just to make me mad. But I didn't pause to think about it too much.

I just sighed, shaking my head. "Steve... Thanks for asking, but I just want to..." I opened the door, looking at him. He actually seemed concerned about me, and that slightly scared me, but I felt like he was actually my friend.

"Walk around?" He suggested softly, no sign of anger or bitterness in his voice.

"Yeah, clear my thoughts about some stuff. I don't really know what I'm going to do." I walked out, and was about to close the door when he called my name. "What?" I asked with a slight edge, poking my head through the doorway.

"You forgot your jacket," he handed me my black leather jacket, the corners of his lips turned slightly upward into a smile. I took the jacket, and noticed that there was something in one of the pockets. Feeling around, I felt that it was a pack of cigarettes, and was shocked to see that it was unopened.

"Steve?"

"You look like you need them more than me," he said simply, putting his hands into his pockets. "Oh, here." he tossed me his Zippo, and I gasped as I caught it. He had a tough time letting anybody besides Soda and Dally use it, so I was more than surprised when I realized that he was letting me use it. "You lose or break it," he started, "you're buyin' me a new one. And you know those things ain't cheap."

I was pretty much at loss for words, so I just looked down at my feet, whispering a thank you.

"Yeah, don't worry about it Kit." I raised my head at the use of one of my nicknames; Steve usually called me kid, didn't even address me by my name. He looked a bit shocked himself, and his cheeks were turning a light pink. He seemed to be wanting to say something else, and I looked away, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. "I don't hate you, you know." He shuffled a bit and ran a hand through his hair. I could feel my eyes going wide as he said this, but pretended to look at the pictures on the mantle. "I just have a hard time expressing my emotions... Feelings and that shit. God," he hit the wall and muttered something that I couldn't understand. "I'll just let ya go now. Stay safe."

"Thanks Steve," I told him quietly, closing the door behind me.

xXxXxX

I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go. All I knew was that I wanted to be alone and away from anyone I knew, or at least I thought so.

I walked around for about half an hour, going in and out of residential areas and smoking almost nonstop when a bus stopped in front of me. I didn't think twice about it and went on, handing the driver the fare, and sitting down at the back of the white section.

God, I didn't know why they still bothered with this shit, blacks aren't any different than us. If you're a poor white or a poor black, you're still poor either way. Same goes for if you're rich. Fuck racism. Mama and Daddy taught me not to judge people based on their outward appearances, so skin color didn't matter to me.

"Next stop, East 4th Street at South Denver," the driver called out. Tim's house was just a five minute walk from where I was, so I got off the bus and began to head in that direction.

His house was kind of run down, with two rusty looking bikes lying on their sides and a ton of weeds in the front yard, with his near broken down car sitting in the driveway. The house looked quiet enough, and I hoped that Tim was there. Maybe his mom and stepdad were out for the weekend, which would probably explain the silence.

I stayed in front of the house for a few minutes, wondering if I should sneak into Tim's room or go back to wandering around town. I bit my lip, twirling my hair around my finger. I took the bus to get here, I wasn't about to let ten cents go to waste.

I made up my mind and went to the side alley, avoiding the shards of glass.

Like usual, Tim's window was unlocked. I winced as it creaked, but finally got it open enough so I could go into his room.

His room was about the same size as mine, just enough room for a bed, desk, and dresser, with music and pin up posters covering the walls. Clothes littered the floor, along with cigarette butts and empty bottles of alcohol. A stack of dirty magazines was next to his bed, along with a pile of torn and stained comics . I closed the window, making sure not to make too much noise, then cleared a spot on the floor and sat down, leaning my back against the wall and looking at Tim.

Asleep, he looked almost innocent. His arms were wrapped tightly around his pillow, and he was breathing softly. Put him in a much cleaner bedroom, and you wouldn't believe that he had a nasty temper and swore something fierce. But when you got a second look, you could see the scars covering his arms, and the large one on his face.  
There was an ashtray on his bedside table, and I got up to take it so I could smoke, then noticed a beaten up book that looked like it had gone to hell. The back cover was stained and nearly ripped off, and the pages were dark and wrinkled as if it had fallen into dirty water and dried. I picked up the ashtray with one hand and the book with the other, and smiled softly when I saw the title. _The Catcher in the Rye_. Why Tim actually had a book, I didn't know, but at the time I didn't pause to think about it; it was one of my favorites.

Mr. Syme had recommended it to us several times, but he had never taught it; he told us that he could risk getting fired if he did because of the themes the book promoted. It was the one book that I constantly borrowed from Steve, until one day he got mad and threw a fifty cent piece at me and told me to go buy myself a copy. It was the closest thing to a present that I had ever gotten from him.

I lit up, holding the cancer stick with one hand and the book with the other. Just like with my comics, I could easily get into the book and lose myself in it.

xXxXxX

"Curly, you little shit, what the fuck are you doing smoking in my-Katherine?"

Tim sat up, groaning and rubbing his eyes. I glanced quickly at his chest, then stubbed out my cigarette and closed the book, putting it next to me. I hadn't exactly thought about Tim's reaction to when he would wake up. I hoped that it wouldn't be too awkward.

"Um, hi," I said quietly, standing up and sticking the cigarettes in my pocket.

He gave me a slight glare, looking me over. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Didn't Angela tell you that I called?"

"You... What? When?"

"Last night... Michael... Michael..." I tried to find the words to what I wanted going to say, but couldn't find them. "Forget it, I'll just leave."

"What about Andrews?" Tim asked roughly. "What the fuck did he do?"

"He... He..." I was at loss for words. How could I explain what happened to me to Tim?

"Katherine?" His voice was soft, and I heard the mattress springs squeak. "Holy shit, are you crying?"

I put my hand to my cheek at his words, and shook my head even though I could feel the tears falling. "I... I don't know what he did..."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" He demanded, putting his hand under my chin and forcing me to look at him. I tried to turn away, but he kept a firm grip on me, refusing to let me off. "Kat, what the hell happened?"

I shook my head again, feeling the shame building up inside of me. Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling out at the corners. They fell down my cheeks rapidly, and I choked out a sob, turning away from Tim.

"Kat-Kat, tell me what happened before I go out and murder him," he growled, his eyes getting darker.

I tried to control my breathing, and only began to talk once I was sure that I wouldn't sob every five seconds. I told him everything, from the end of the party to when he brought me up to his room. But I couldn't find the words to say what happened. It wasn't rape, because I was still a virgin. But he forced me into doing things that I didn't want to do, what was it then? So I just told him that Michael made me do things that I didn't want to do, but as I reached the end of my sentence, I burst into tears again.

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill 'im!" Tim jumped up, grab a pair of jeans from off the floor and pulled them on.

"Don't!" I screamed, catching him by the shoulder and making him turn around. "Please don't!"

"Are you fuckin' tellin' me you liked tha' he took advantage of you and showed you off afterwards?" He took me by the shoulders and pinned me against the wall, his dark eyes glazed over with wrath.

"No I didn't!" I tried to push him off of me but he didn't move, and I let my arms fall by my sides. "I just don't... Don't want my brothers to know. I let him... I didn't want him to break up with me! Darry re-really likes him, I don't want him t-to get mad at me."

"Your brothers don't know wha' happened?" His eyes burned as I shook my head, looking down.

"Pl-please don't hurt Mi-Michael..."

He turned around and kicked an empty bottle out of the way. I flinched as it hit the foot of his bed and shattered into pieces that glinted in the sunlight streaming into the room from the window. Tim spun back to me, his eyes dark. "He hurts you one more time... One more goddamn time... I'm findin' him and makin' him regret what he did."

I wiped my eyes on the sleeve of my jacket. Stray tears fell down my cheeks, but I ignored them, walking up to Tim. I hesitated about what I should do and bit my lip. He was staring at me; his eyes were still dark and hard, and most people would look away after a couple of seconds, but I looked right back at him. I knew what I wanted to do then, and at that moment I didn't care about the consequences of my actions if Michael found out.

I wrapped my arms around Tim's shoulders and tilted my head slightly, closing my eyes and pressing my lips to his. If he was shocked by my action, he didn't show it; he just put his hands on my hips, pulling me closer. I pulled away when I couldn't breathe anymore, avoiding Tim's gaze.

I cheated on Michael.

"Shit K.C, that ain't somethin' I expected." The anger in his voice was gone, but I continued to stare at my beat up sneakers and the shards of glass.

"I'll go home now," I whispered in embarrassment, turning away, but he caught me by the wrist, stopping me.

"No." His voice was soft but firm, and I looked up in surprise. He looked surprised too by the way the word came out, but he shook his head, pulling me closer. "I don't want you to go."

"I can't stay here," I told him, tears filling my eyes. "Michael was right, I am... I am a wh-"

"Shut up." He sounded more in pain than anything else. I looked up, trying to blink the tears away. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, a small smile playing on his lips when he pulled away. "You aren't. You never were." He nodded over to his bed, squeezing my hand. "Do ya want to...?"

"Tim..." I hung my head, taking my hand out of his.

"We don't have ta do anythin' you don't want," he muttered, pushing my hair behind my ear. I nodded, and took off my jacket and pants, folding them and putting them on top of his dresser. "Get comfy, I'm gonna..." He pointed towards the door, and I nodded, a soft giggle escaping my lips. I wrapped the covers around me as he closed the door behind him, and reached over to his bedside table, noticing that the drawer was slightly open. Inside was a notebook, and I took it out of the drawer, turning it over in my hands. It didn't look unused, was slightly worn at the corners, and I assumed it was an old notebook from his school days.

"Don't look at that!" It was grabbed out of my hands, and Tim lifted his mattress up, shoving it under. I propped myself up on one arm and grinned at him slightly.

"Why?"

"'cause I don't want ya to." He got under the covers and wrapped an arm around me, but I pushed him away before he could pull me into a kiss.

"Does it have anythin' to do with those poems you wrote?"

"You askin' a lotta questions Miss Curtis."

I let him kiss me and smiled when he pulled away. "It does, doesn't it?" When he didn't reply, I traced his scars lightly with my fingers, looking away. "I didn't know that you had that much tal-"

"Christ, I didn't write you no poems!" I gave him a hurt look, and he rolled his eyes, but kissed my temple. I knew that he was lying, the glint in his eyes told me so, but I didn't press the point any farther, and snuggled closer to him.

xXxXxX

We talked and kissed; I cried and he comforted me. We had some of the most intense talks we've ever had, with him asking me what I wanted to do once I turned eighteen and what I wanted in terms of family. I asked him if he thought about going off to Vietnam, and he said he'd go if it meant Angela and Curly would have better lives. We talked about our dreams and made up scenarios for the future.

I could tell that he thought that the conversation was stupid, but he would always ask questions if there was a lull in the conversation. And kiss me. Oh, the kisses. I couldn't help but think of Michael occasionally and he noticed this. He would kiss me when I started to stare blankly at the wall or ceiling as I spoke, bringing me out of my thoughts.  
He trailed kisses from my jaw to my neck, slowly running his fingers up and down my sides. I kissed his cheek, wrapping my arms around him as he shifted so that he was on top of me instead of next to me. He hooked a finger on either side of my panties, and I took the hint that he was keen for more. So I eagerly slid out from underneath him and threw my legs over the side of the bed before pulling my shirt up over my head.

"Kat, shit, I-" He was breathing heavily, and looked on bug-eyed as I let it fall to the floor. I reached to unclasp my bra, but he got to me before I could, putting his hands over mine. "You don't have to."

"I trust you," I whispered, my lips brushing against his cheek. He nodded, keeping his eyes on mine as I took my bra off. When it touched the ground, he put his hands on my hips and kissed me, sucking gently on my bottom lip. I leaned against him, trailing my fingers across his back to his neck, running them through his hair. He pulled away, effortlessly picking me up and lying me down on the bed. He hovered above me for a few seconds, and I put my hand on the nape of his neck, pulling his head closer and bringing our lips together.

xXxXxX

The sheets were wet with our sweat and liquids, clinging to our skin as we lay on his bed with his arms wrapped around my body and my head buried in the crook of his neck. The sun was lighting up the room and I was feeling slightly hungry.

He shifted slightly and looked at me, a grin playing on his lips. I moved my hand to brush his hair out of his eyes, and he surprised me by pushing it aside and kissing my nose.

"Are you feeling better?" His cobalt eyes were full of concern, and I smiled with a nod. "That's good." He reached across my body to his bedside table and grabbed a half empty pack of cigarettes. "You want one?"

"That's a stupid question Shepard." I took the cigarette he offered and smiled as he lit it for me. "Thanks."

"You doin' anything today?" He asked after taking a long drag from his cancer.

"I didn't quite think my day out. Why, got stuff to do with the gang?"

"Nah, nothin' like that. Wanna hang with me?"

I grinned at the proposition and kissed him. "I'd love to, as long as it doesn't involve a liquor store robbery," I laughed, sticking my cigarette in the ashtray and pressing my lips to his. He groaned into the kiss and pulled me on top, but I pulled away when I felt him begin to harden.

"How in the name of hell are you still a virgin?" He let me go and took a drag from his cigarette, giving me a slight glare.

"I want to... Love... The person?" My response came out more as a question than an answer, and he smirked at this.

"And after all those times with me you haven't grown to love me?"

"Got a condom?" I questioned, straddling his hips and grinding gently. "I'm not bringin' a baby home to Darry."

"Come back to me when I buy some," he smirked, getting up and holding me by the hips. "We should shower, I think the house is empty."

I got off him and started to pull on my clothes, but he tossed a white shirt at me. "There's no use gettin' dressed again, you're gonna to take it all off in less than five minutes."

I picked up the shirt by the tips of my fingers, holding it at arms length. "This is clean, right?"

"Does it matter? You're going to take it off in a minute anyway." I gave him a look and he sighed, pointing to a pile of clothes next to his dresser. "They're all clean. I just got too lazy to put 'em away."

I slipped on the shirt, smiling. Sure, it was technically clean, but it still smelled like him: cigarettes, a faint smell of liquor and some sort of cologne that I failed to recognize, but liked the smell of.

Tim had gathered our clothes in his arm and opened the door, looking both ways, then walked out. "Come on K.C."

I made sure that the t-shirt covered as much as possible before going out and following him, although I clung to the bottom of the shirt, just in case.

"No one's in the house besides us, relax." He closed the door and beckoned me over. "Come here." He pulled off the shirt when I got close enough, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing a sore spot on my neck.

"Ow, Tim, wait."

I turned to face the mirror, but he held on tight to my waist, pushing my hair out of my way to kiss my neck again. I tilted my head, sighing and looking into the mirror. I honestly didn't think that I was much to look at, but Two-Bit constantly told me otherwise. To quote, "all of your Curtises are the same, you're all good looking but you can't fucking admit it to yourselves". I had silky light auburn hair that reached about the middle of my breasts, which I suppose were a good size; Tim could just wrap his hands around them. I had a slim figure, mostly due to the fact that I hardly ate and walked nearly everywhere I went. I was also sort of tall: shorter than most guys I was friends with, but about the same height or a bit taller than others. With a nice dress and makeup, people could mistake me for a Soc. But with my slightly swollen lips, my messy hair and the bruise on my neck, and Tim next to me, with his facial scar almost blending in with his skin, his jeans riding low on his hips, I could be a movie's juvenile delinquent's girlfriend, with Tim being my boyfriend.

Wait.

I practically am.

"Kat, you're real pret- I mean, you ain't ugly. You don't need to look at yourself in the mirror."

I looked at Tim with an amused expression, raising an eyebrow. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Well, you're not ugly," he replied simply.

"That's nice," I said, looking at my neck. Like I thought, there was a hickey on it that I would have a bit of trouble hiding. Goodness, how would I be able to explain it if Michael sees it? Or Darry. Oh gosh, he would kill me if he saw it.

I ran my fingers lightly over the mark, and Tim kissed it, a smirk making its way to his lips. "I see you got a bit of a hickey there." There was amusement in his voice, and I rolled my eyes.

"No kiddin'."

"Whatcha gonna do 'bout it?"

"Michael gave it to me."

The words were out before I could think, and he raised an eyebrow, looking impressed. "Quick thinkin', 'cause there are plenty more where that came from."

"Tim!" My shock quickly disappeared and turned to delight when he lifted me up by the ass and kissed me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, cupping his face.

xXxXxX

We drove to a fast food place on the Ribbon after another hour or so of messing around. There, we ran into some people Tim knew. They caught up and joked around for a bit, while I talked to the girls with them. Sylvia White, Dally's girlfriend, was with one of them. Shock registered in her face when she saw me, and I suppose the same feeling was visible on mine. I knew that she wasn't always faithful to Dally, having even tried her tricks on Johnny when Dal was in reform school. She knew that Tim and I saw each other several times even though we weren't dating, and that I was currently with Michael. But she gave me a brief nod, and I returned it: a silent agreement to not tell the other's boyfriend what she had seen, as much as I hated not to tell Dally.

The girls she was with visibly didn't have a lot of school smarts, but street wise I could tell that they had made a name for themselves. However, as I spoke to them, I found out that they were just rough characters and joked around easily when they let their guards down.

"Thanks Sylvia," I told her quietly when Tim told me that we were going to head off somewhere else. She just smiled, pulling me into a hug.

"I saw that White was with one of the guys," Tim said as we walked out of the restaurant.

"Well, if Dally finds out, it won't be from me," I said, looping my fingers through his. He took his hand away and instead wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him.

The Ribbon was no man's land, although Socs liked to show who was boss. It was funny watching a group of them face the Tiber Street Tigers, who unofficially called the street their territory, although it was mostly to impress: all social classes hung out on the Ribbon. Anyway, one day a group of Socs got into a brawl with some of the Tigers, and according to Tim and Dally, five of the guys involved got sent to the hospital. The Ribbon being no man's land kind of freaked me out, because I knew that there was a chance that I would see someone that I knew, maybe even Michael.

xXxXxX

"Hey, Katherine, baby!" I jumped when I heard my name, getting out of Tim's grip and slapping his arm away. We were walking around one of the side streets, and happened to pass by a park with benches and everything. Tim's eyes narrowed at my action, but I shivered when I heard him growl. Michael was running toward us, dressed in the same dark green polo and tan pants that he wore on the first day of school. I let out a small squeak, but Tim hit my back and I composed myself. I'm a greaser, and greasers don't show emotions. I'm a Curtis, and we don't show when we're scared. "You didn't look so hot last night, was something wrong?"

"I wasn't feeling good" was my simple and to the point answer, but that didn't stop him leaning in and kissing me. I kissed back for a second before pulling away, but I wasn't smiling. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tim stiffen, and I looked to where he was looking. A slim girl with bouncing blonde curls was walking towards us with a couple of books under her arms, smiling.

"Hi Katherine!" she said, and I gave her a weak smile. What the hell was Sandy doing with Michael?

"I'm giving Sandy some help in math," Michael answered to my expression, and I raised my eyebrow. "Don't give me that look! Can I ask what you're doing with Shepard?"

"We ran into each other this morning," I lied, slightly surprised at how easily the words rolled off my tongue, "he was on his way to check on something with Darry, but he was already gone so I offered to hang out with him."

Michael nodded slowly, looking us over. "Kat, can I talk to you privately?" he pointed to a table over in the grass covered with a few textbooks. I glanced at Tim, and the look in his eyes told me that he wasn't happy, but he didn't make any move to prevent me from going. "Baby, listen," Michael started, taking my hands in his as we sat down, "I wanted to apologize for what happened last night. I had drank a bit before-"

"A bit?" I interrupted, standing up, "kissing you was like downing shots!"

"Don't talk to me like that!" I slunk back down into my seat, intimidated by his yelling. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I... I'm sorry. I called earlier to ask if you were available, but Randle told me that you had gone out and he didn't know where you were."

"I told you, I went out for a walk and ran into Tim!" His eyes flickered over to my neck, and I instinctively covered it with my hair.

"Katherine..."

"You're the one who gave that to me," I said before he could continue, "Darry was pissed when he saw it."

He sat up straighter at those words, his green eyes burning. "He doesn't know what happened, does he?"

I let out a low laugh, looking back to Tim, who was talking to Sandy but occasionally looking at us. "You wouldn't be here right now if Darry and Soda knew."

"You're my girlfriend," he said simply, but I could tell that he was going to say something with some importance, "and I love you. But we both know that the man dominates the woman, and that she has to do what he says-"

"What is this shit?" I screamed, ignoring the dirty looks I got from parents with their kids. "I'm not going to comply to every single one of your demands! You're not my husband!"

"Shut up!" He grabbed me by the upper arm, pulling me closer to him. "You're going to fucking listen to me, and you won't interrupt me. First of all, I want you to cut your habits of swearing and smoking. Ladies don't use the language you use or smoke the shit you do. And second, I've heard things about you and Shepard sneaking around. I want that shit to stop. You're going t-"

"There was never anything going on between Tim and I!" I screamed, pulling out of his grip, but Michael latched back on. Only for a few seconds though, until Tim and Sandy came running back towards us. There was a slight metallic swishing noise, and before I knew it, Michael had let go of me and Tim had his switchblade up in Michael's face.

"Don't you ever fuckin' yell at her or hurt her," he growled, getting on his knees on the table and elbowing me out of the way. "No one does."

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" Michael laughed, pushing Tim's arm out of the way. "She's my girlfriend, she does what I tell her."

"Katherine isn't a goddamn sex object!"

I couldn't help but blush at his words, because a large part of my relationship with him was sexual.  
**  
Yeah, but he cares about you, doesn't he?**  
_  
Shut it._

"You know what Shepard? Don't tell me what to do. Get lost."

Tim looked like he wanted to punch Michael in the face and beat him to within an inch of his life, but I touched his shoulder, gently pulling him back. "This ain't the end," Tim spat, getting off the table. "If I find out you hurt her, I'm gonna fuckin' kill you and make you regret ever layin' eyes on her."

"Good luck with that."

As Tim left, I took him by the hand just for a split second, but enough for him to squeeze it. I let out a high whistle that ended with a low note, and after a few seconds he returned it, turning around and giving me a quick smile.

"What the fuck was that?" Michael demanded as I smiled when Tim began to run.

"It means goodbye," I said, and it wasn't really a lie. It was Dally who taught us that when he got back from New York. Between gangs, it meant that they weren't looking for a fight and wanted to talk. Between members of a same gang, couples or friends, it meant that they were always loyal to them. It was also used whenever gangs began to disperse after hanging out.

My whistle meant the second one.

"I think the tutoring session may have to be cut short," Michael told Sandy, giving her a look of regret.

"It's alright." My twin's girlfriend looked a bit shaken as she started to gather the books. "Can you... Can you drive me to the DX? I promised Soda that I'd stop by and see him."

"Of course," he smiled, looking as if nothing happened. "And you're coming with us," he added roughly, giving me a glare.

"Sounds great!" I gave him a toothy grin, batting my eyelashes, "I'd love to spend some time with my brothers!"

"No, you're coming back home with me."

"Soda would sure find it suspicious that I'd put my boyfriend in front of my family," I said innocently, "family is always first."

"Your brothers or that idiot who just left find out anything, and I mean anything, I'm telling Darrel you're pregnant and that I would love to marry you to help raise the kid," he hissed, holding me tight by the arm.

"Michael…" Sandy said softly, touching his arm. "Can we please go?"

Michael glared at me for a few seconds, but unlike Tim when he was mad, I couldn't look into his eyes. I was scared. Marriage? Sure, I thought about it, but that didn't mean that I wanted to get married as soon as I get out of high school. I was hoping that maybe I could go to college and get a degree but at that moment it didn't seem like it was going to happen. I was going to end up like so many other girls: married right out of high school and pregnant before I knew it, with no chances of a higher education. Darry wouldn't allow this to happen, could he? He knew that I was hoping to go to college, and that if I had to, would work my way through it just to show everyone that not all greasers are brainless and that we could get someone. I wouldn't let anyone make me get married before I wanted to.

xXxXxX

"Hey, it's my two favorite ladies!" Soda exclaimed when Michael pulled up into the DX.

"Hi baby," Sandy smiled, getting out of the car with her book bag and kissing my brother.

Michael narrowed his eyes when he saw the couple, and looked at me, power burning in his eyes.

"Wha-"

He cut me off, kissing me and holding me by the wrists so that I couldn't try and fight him off. He immediately put his tongue in my mouth, moving it in a circular motion. I almost bit it, repulsed by his action. He was such a bad kisser, it made me so uneasy whenever we made out. But he seemed to know that I was thinking of biting down and pulled away.

"Love me," he whispered harshly in my ear, squeezing my wrists tightly.

"Michael," Soda greeted curtly, his arms around Sandy's waist.

"Sodapop." My boyfriend nodded, then turned to me. "I'll see you soon sweetheart, I love you very much."

"Bye Michael," I said, getting out of the car and going to Soda before Michael could do anything more.

"Are you okay?" Soda whispered, hugging me and pretending to kiss my cheek.

"Yeah," I lied, taking my arms off of him.

Soda looked at me for a couple of seconds but I turned away, not wanting him to see the lie in my eyes. "We'll talk later," he told me softly.

"I'm sorry that we couldn't have more alone time," Michael said to me, pretending to look sorry, "but Sandy really needed help studying for math. I hope that it wasn't too boring for you."

"Oh no, I didn't mind at all. See you Monday."

He narrowed his eyes slightly at the dismissal, but turned the keys in his ignition and drove off.

"Where are the rest of the boys?" Sandy asked as we went inside the building.

"I'm not quite sure where Johnny or Two-Bit are, but Steve's in the garage and Pony's at the movies."

"Is he seeing that new Paul Newman movie?" I asked, smiling.

"Don't know, he just stopped by and said he was headin' to the movie house," he shrugged as a car pulled in and the owner honked for a refill.

"Thanks for not telling Soda about what happened," I told Sandy quietly as Soda walked out.

"I don't think that he would have been too happy if he found out," she said, looking down.

I nodded, wondering for how long I would be able to keep what was happening between me and Michael a secret.

"I'm going to give Steve his lighter back," I said after a moment of silence, going to the garage before Sandy could answer. The room was only lit by the sun's rays, making it a bit dark, and I bit back a laugh when I saw Steve's legs sticking out from under a tuff looking Stingray. I sat down on a bench, moving a few tools out of the way first.

"Soda?" Steve called out, his voice slightly muffled.

"Katherine," I answered, getting a light out of my pocket and sticking it in my mouth. "I've got your lighter."

Steve rolled out from under the car, wiping the grease off of his face. "You sort things out with Andrews?"

"Not really," I answered honestly, tossing him his lighter, which he caught and pocketed. "We'll see how things go."

He nodded, pushed more tools out of the way and sat down next to me. "Got anymore lights?"

I handed him one, not looking at him. Steve flicked his lighter a couple of times before managing to light his cigarette. He took a long drag, closing his eyes and leaning his head back.

"Haven't had one of these for a few hours," he said, shooting me a wry grin.

I hit him, letting out a small laugh. "Addict."

"You're one to be talkin'. How many weeds are left in the pack?" he asked with a laugh, poking my side.

"Shepard helped me," I defended, putting the pack back in my pocket, but I regretted saying his name as Steve raised an eyebrow. "I ran into him this morning."

"Uh-huh."

"Nothing happened," I told him quickly, putting the cigarette butt in an ashtray that was lying around.

"I didn't say anythin'."

We stayed quiet for a few minutes, smoking and listening to the conversations outside.

"Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"How long was it before you found out Danielle was cheating on you?"

He cocked an eyebrow, leaning back against the wall. "Why?"

"Just wondering."

"This have anythin' to do with you and Michael?"

"Not me in particular, mostly Michael."

To my surprise, Steve clapped his hands, doubling over in laughter. "I fuckin' knew it! You can't let go of Shepard!"

"That's not funny!" I protested, feeling myself turn red as as I hit him.

"Yes it is! My God, I knew there was still somethin' funny going on between you two." He looked at me, wiping an invisible tear out of his eye. "Sweetheart, I'm givin' ya a month before Andrews finds out. Alright, Danielle was sneaking 'round for two months or somethin' but most people find out sooner. 'specially if you're sneakin' around with Mister Shepard; Andrews is bound to find out. Honey, break it off before he finds out, or just do something."

"I wasn't… talking about me ch-cheating on Michael," I told him, trying to keep my voice level, hardly registering the fact that he called me 'honey' and 'sweetheart''. "I was asking 'cause I think Michael and Sa-some girl," I said quickly, silently thanking God that I didn't say her name, "might be messing around. And Tim and I have only gotten together twice since the beginning of the year, and it was before I got with Michael," I added before he could say anything.

"Alright, alright," he held up his hands in mock defeat. "But remember kid," he paused for a dramatic effect and I rolled my eyes, "one month."


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you for your patience! 3 I've been so caught up with school lately and I really need to focus on that at the moment, so updates are going to be real slow. I promise that I won't forget about this, your reviews keep me going! Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews and messages, and as usual to my lovely beta, Entangler, for her eternal patience with me and for kindly reading the chapters before I update (: I really hope you guys like this :D**

* * *

"Darry! Soda! Kat!"

"Ponyboy!" We started to run at a dead run, and I didn't even give it a thought: my legs were moving on their own. Left. Right. Left. Right.  
Soda was in front of me and Steve, calling out our brother's name. Steve turned around just as my lungs were beginning to protest, and he closed the gap between us, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him.

As my brother's screams became clearer, I noticed a group of Socs at the front of a house. Some faces were familiar to me: Michael's friends. A wave of rage washed over me, and I pulled away from Steve, running faster.

"Leave him alone!"

The rest of the boys appeared: Darry came running from the direction of our house, Two-Bit from the small alley between the house, Dally and Johnny from across the street, the former swearing at the Socs. The shock of seeing my friend after such a long time made me pause, but Steve tumbled into me, making me trip.

"Shit hon I'm sorry," he said, steadying me. I just shook my head, clearing my thoughts; I didn't even register the fact that he called me hon. I took off running, screaming obscenities at the guys who were about to beat Ponyboy up. They looked up, fear filling their eyes, and hopped into their car, but not before the guys reached them. Dally landed a solid punch on one of them, and the guy doubled over, putting his hands to his face. One of his friends dragged him by the neck of his jacket, nearly throwing him into the car, while Two-Bit grabbed on to another one, but he was pushed to the ground, and the driver began to pull away. But the boys didn't let that stop them. Steve reached into the car as the door closed, looking like he wanted to grab the Soc and pull him out the window, and beat him senseless. Soda was reaching through the driver's side, but before the guys could get any more damage in, the car began to drive away, and they ran after it, shouting and throwing rocks at it. Dally even got a piece of timber that was lying around, and threw it at the car, though he missed.

A loud groan tore my eyes away from the gang, and I rushed to Ponyboy's side. He was squinting in the bright sun, looking around with a confused expression.

"Wha-"

"Don't talk, baby." My voice was firm, and he stopped talking, letting me take his face in my hands and examine him for any injuries. He was bleeding, but I didn't figure out where it was coming from before Darry came and pulled our brother to his feet.

"Are you all right, Ponyboy?" He was shaking Ponyboy, and I could sense the desperation in his voice, hoping that our brother wasn't didn't get hurt too bad, though I didn't see the need to be so rough.

"I'm okay. Quit shaking me, Darry, I'm okay."

"I'm sorry." He didn't look sorry, and I crossed my arms, frowning at him, but he made a point to ignore me. "They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?"

"I'm okay." He didn't look okay; he was shaking and his eyes were getting shiny with tears, but he just nodded firmly. He didn't want to look weak in front of Darry, the gang.

Soda appeared besides us, grabbing a stained handkerchief out of his back pocket. "You got cut up a little, huh, Ponyboy?"

"I did?" I couldn't help but laugh at his cluelessness, and ran my hand affectionately through his hair, laughing more when he hit it away.

Soda's expression was still full of concern, though his big, brown eyes were dancing with laughter at the exchange as he wet the end of the handkerchief with his tongue, and pressed it gently against the side of my head. "You're bleedin' like a stuck pig."

"I am?"

"Look!" He showed us the handkerchief, reddened as if by magic, and I sobered up, my laughter fading away. "Did they pull a blade on you?"

"Yeah."

He was injured, and we needed to get him fixed. Soda narrowed his eyes, looking at Pony more closer, but our brother turned away, shaking. I shared a look with my twin, and he sighed, putting a hand on our brother's shoulder.

"Easy, Ponyboy. They ain't gonna hurt you no more."

"I know." His voice broke and he wiped his eyes impatiently. "I'm just a little spooked, that's all." And just like that, he quit crying. I gave him a lopsided grin, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and squeezing him. At least he could control his tears. I couldn't. Soda rubbed his hair. "You're an okay kid, Pony."

Pony grinned back, and I had to grin myself. Soda's smile was more contagious than the chicken pox. "You're crazy, Soda, out of your mind."

I glanced over at Darry, and he looked as if he'd like to knock our heads together. "You're all nuts."

Soda merely cocked one eyebrow, wearing a smug expression. "It seems to run in this family."

Darry stared at him for a second, then cracked a grin before turning away to talk to Dally. Didn't I say that Soda's grin was contagious?

"Didya catch 'em?" Pony asked, looking around at the gang, who was slowly making their way towards us.

"Nup. They got away this time, the dirty..." Two-Bit went on cheerfully, calling the Socs every name he could think of or make up. "The kid's okay?"

"I'm okay. I didn't know you were out of the cooler yet, Dally."

Typical of him to try to get the attention off him.

"Good behavior. Got off early." Dallas lit a cigarette and handed it to Johnny, and he passed the pack Dally handed him around the circle. Darry passed me the pack before he realized who I was, and I stuck my tongue out at him as I lit up, sitting against the broken down Chevy that was sitting in our driveway that Steve and Soda always talked about fixing, but never actually got down to it.

I was sitting outside of the group, almost losing my thoughts as I concentrated on a ladybug that was crawling through the blades of grass when Darry's voice brought me back to the real world.

"You don't ever think! Not at home or anywhere when it counts. You must think at school, with all those good grades you bring home, and you've always got your nose in a book, but do you ever use your head for common sense? No sirree, bub. And if you did have to go by yourself, you should have carried a blade."

Soda was glaring at him. "Leave my kid brother alone, you hear? It ain't his fault he likes to go to the movies, and it ain't his fault the Socs like to jump us, and if he had been carrying a blade it would have been a good excuse to cut him to ribbons."

I shivered at Soda's words, despite the fact that it was warm. I thought dating Michael would stop the warfare... Or at least stop the Socs from bothering me and my friends. I'd have to confront him about it. I'm not gonna let his friends push my kid brother around like that. Who knows what could have happened if we didn't arrive...

"When I want my kid brother to tell me what to do with my other kid brother, I'll ask you- kid brother." But he laid off Pony. He always does when Sodapop tells him to. Most of the time.

"Next time get one of us to go with you, Ponyboy," Two-Bit said. "Any of us will."

"Speakin' of movies," Dally yawned, flipping away his cigarette butt. "I'm walkin' over to the Nightly Double tomorrow night. Anybody want to come and hunt some action?"

Steve shook his head. "Me and Soda are pickin' up Evie and Sandy for the game. Kat's comin' too, ain't you?"

"Marcia and Cherry are gonna come pick me up," I answered quietly, throwing my cigarette to the ground and grinding the butt with my heel. "I'll catch up with you guys when the game starts."

"I'm working tomorrow night," Darry sighed, just like we all knew he would. I think the last time he went out was when we went to the 20 Grand. I exchanged a look with Soda, and he nodded with a grin; we're gonna get Darry to go out sometime soon.

Dally looked at the rest of the guys. "How about y'all? Two-Bit? Johnnycake, you and Pony wanna come?"

"Me and Johnny'll come," Pony said, and Darry nodded his approval, before going into the house.

"I was plannin' on getting boozed up tomorrow night," Two-Bit said. "If I don't, I'll walk over and find y'all."

Steve was looking at Dally's hand. His ring, which he had rolled a drunk senior to get, was back on his finger. "You break up with Sylvia again?"

"Yeah, and this time it's for good. That little broad was two-timin' me again while I was in jail."

I thought of seeing Sylva with that guy, just a few hours ago, and shrugged that thought away. Dally found out that she was cheating on him, there's no need for me to feel bad.

He turned away after saying bye to the gang, without another glance at me, and I called his name, getting up from the ground, but he ignored me.

"I'll be back," I told Pony, who was talking to Johnny. "If Darry asks where I am, just tell him I went for a walk. I swear I won't be long."

I pushed open the front gate and ran after Dally, calling out his name. He was at the end of the street and didn't look like he was going to stop anytime soon.

"Dallas, look at me," I pleaded, putting my hand on his upper arm, but he shook me off. "What did I do?"

He didn't answer me, and took a long drag on his cigarette. He smoked so much that he didn't even cough as he exhaled, watching the smoke disperse in the air.

"I know what happened K.C," he told me, throwing his half smoked weed to the ground and stomping on it.

"Know what?" I demanded, stopping him from walking any further.

"'bout what Andrews did to you!"

My heart started to beat faster and I felt my eyes getting wet. But I wiped at them impatiently, not wanting to cry in front of him.

"That wasn't Shepard's business to tell you!"

"Your brothers and I are in the same gang," he hissed, and I couldn't help feeling genuinely scared and he glared at me with his icy blue eyes, "you're family. If anythin' happens to you, that's like if something happened to them!"

"They don't need to know nothin'," I muttered, kicking an empty beer can across the street.

"I promised I wouldn't tell no one. Shepard was right pissed when he told me, and I think it's stupid tha' you didn't do nothin' to stop 'him. You a Curtis, ain't ya?"

"Yeah," I muttered, staring at the ground.

"Don't let no one take advantage of you, 'specially if it's a stinking Soc like him. And Kat, if he ever hurts you again, I'll find 'im and make sure he'll never hurt any girl again."

I frowned slightly at that. Dally was known to be cold hearted, but I wasn't quite sure how I felt about him beating Michael up.

After staring at each other for a couple of awkward seconds, his hands cupped my face, and his lips were on mine. I let out a choked gasp, and when he pulled away, his expression was just as cold as it was before, but his words were gentle.

"You're a sweet kid K.C, I don't want ya gettin' hurt."

And with that, he turned away, hands in his pockets, leaving me extremely confused and dizzy. I could take the kiss or him telling me that Tim told him about one of my personal, intimate moments, though definitely not one that I wanted to remember, but not both at the same time.

xXxXxX

I was still thinking about my short meeting with Dally as I went to bed. Dinner was a bit awkward, because it was only us four, and Darry was still mad at Pony. After Pony and I finished washing the dishes I went to my room, wanting to be alone, and thought about what Steve has said to me.

_Remember babe, I'm giving you one month._

One month, and I had to decide between Tim and Michael. I just didn't want Michael to hurt me if I broke up with him…

I turned over to face the window, clutching my pillow and wondering what it was like to be in love. Soda told me that you get butterflies whenever you see the person, and every time that you kiss, it feels like fireworks are going off, and you start to feel dizzy. You can be yourself and have fun and laugh and talk about anything.

When I was starting to feel really sleepy, my thoughts began to get a bit blurry, but I remember certain things. A pair of intense, dark blue eyes. Dark, greased back hair. A wild personality. A rough voice that became soft whenever we were alone. Gentle caresses and warm kisses. Soft lips that would kiss me goodnight as I fell asleep in his tight embrace...

xXxXxX

I was silent the whole way to school, only talking when Cherry and Marcia spoke to me. That little Sting Ray was the tuffest car I've ever been in. The girls were already dressed in their cheerleading uniforms: tight, short sleeved shirts and pleated skirts with the school colors, blue and gold, and their hair was curled, up in ponytails. I didn't do much to pretty myself up; all I did was line my eyes with dark eyeliner, put on some lipstick, and put on a plain blue and white sailor dress.

The football team was lounging around the locker room, letting out excess energy by tossing the football to each other, and the more daring ones were off in a corner with their girls. Bob and Randy caught sight of Cherry and Marcia, and quickly made their way towards us, grinning.

"How you doing baby?" Bob asked, wrapping an arm around Cherry's shoulder and kissing her cheek.

"I'm doing good, I'm excited for the game. You guys are so going to beat Rydell this year with the team you have."

Michael appeared next to me and pulled me into a kiss. "Came to wish me good luck baby?"

I got what he was implying, and hung my head, blushing. "I just came to say hi."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me to a corner of the locker room, kissing me hard as he pushed me against the lockers. My head hit against them, and I let out a slight protest, but he ignored me, grabbing my hands and holding them above my head with one hand while the other made its way up my skirt. I squirmed, letting out a muffled squeal as he pushed his fingers inside of me.

"Stop it!"

He nudge my legs apart with his knee, letting out a low growl. I whimpered as he bit down on my bottom lip, spreading me apart with his fingers.

"Michael!" I winced as my shoulder cracked when I broke free of his grip and pushed him away, putting my hands on my hips, trying to look angry despite the tears forming in my eyes. "You're fucked up! I didn't come here to let you do what you want to me!"

"Don't talk to me like that!"

His hand hit my cheek, and I lost my footing, falling on the floor. His eyes widened and he began to stutter, holding his hand out to me. I pushed him away, the tears overflowing.

"Fuck you."

I stormed out the locker room before he could catch up with me, losing myself in the crowd that was making their way to the bleachers. I made no effort to hide the tears, but no one noticed that I was crying. I made my way under the stands where no one could see me, where I could cry without anyone coming up to me and asking what was wrong. I've never been hit by a guy before, nonetheless a boyfriend.

xXxXxX

I made a quick stop to the water fountain, splashing my face to hopefully get rid of my bloodshot eyes before going to the bleachers to meet up with Steve, Evie, Sandy and Soda. The game had already started by the time I had found my friends on the northeast side of the field, where the greasers usually sat. Most couldn't care any less about organized football games, but when Darry was on the team, all the greasers began to come to games and actually pay attention to them; he became a sort of legend within the greaser community, but after he graduated, most people had no idea what became of him.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Soda asked, looking slightly concerned. "The game started fifteen minutes ago."

I shook my head as he scooted over, choosing instead to sit next to Evie. "I ran into a few people. Where's Sandy?"

"She said she had to look over her neighbor's kids and was goin' to be late. She's supposed to be here soon though."

His words came true a few minutes later when Sandy appeared, looking really pretty in a white and navy shirt dress. She greeted us quickly before pulling Soda into a kiss which he eagerly returned.

"Hey, Sandy, the top of your dress is undone," Evie noted with a wry grin.

"Oh!" She quickly pulled away from Soda and turned her back to him, asking him to pull the zipper up. "Alex was such a rascal, I wonder how his mother can stand him! I would have came in earlier but I needed to fix myself up after he decided to reenact World War Three with me and his sisters."

"Sounds fun," Steve laughed before everyone on our side erupted into cheers.

"And there's the first touchdown of the game, scored by the newest member of Will Rogers's team, Michael Andrews!"

I couldn't help but notice Steve roll his eyes before cheering, how Soda looked less than enthusiastic when he clapped, as I forced myself to jump and cheer, calling out 'yeah Michael!'. Even from a distance I could see the grin on my boyfriend's face as his teammates congratulated him, pounding his back and pumping their hands in the air.

xXxXxX

"Hey." Jimmy appeared behind me with a grin, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Come with me for a bit?"

"If this has anything to do with one of your fantasies..." I began in a teasing tone, but he cut me off with a grin.

"Ain't got nothin' to do with 'em, promise."

"I'll be back Soda," I told him, leaning over Evie's laugh. "Jimmy's gotta show me something."

He just nodded and told me to come to him if I was going to leave the game. I followed Jimmy down the steps of the bleachers, vaguely noting that Rydell scored when groans filled the air.

"What do you want to show me?"

"Nothin', I'm just the messenger. Tim sent me."

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name, and a wave of warmth spread through my body. "I can tell you're excited," he said, shooting me a grin.

"Shut up!" I hit him with a giggle, and he just punched me in the arm playfully, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

He led me to a less crowded area under the bleachers, and I heard Tim before I saw him.

"-fuckin' idiot, I told you tha' I don't want none of you dealin' that shit!"

I got pulled back as I tried to run forward, and protested, but the fire in my friend's eyes stopped me.

"Stay here."

"I don't give a shit if dealing acid and weed will make you a goddamn millionaire! You can get five years in the state pen for that! And you fuckin' sold it to-" A yell cut him off, and I paced around, trembling. Weed? Acid? Oh god, who in Tim's gang was selling it? Who was he selling it to?

I couldn't take it anymore, and began jogging towards Tim's voice, hiding behind a pole. Tim was throwing punches to Jackie Evans as he was held by two more guys of the gang. Jackie was slumped over, hardly reacted when Tim's fist hit him. I bit back a scream as Tim forced Jackie to look up, and landed a punch to his nose. A loud crack reached me, and the blood began gushing out, staining Evans's shirt. Tim aimed a final kick to his shins, making Evans groan in pain.

"Get 'im the hell out of here."

The two guys began to drive Evans away, towards the parking lot, and Tim let out a frustrated yell.

"You sure that he sold it to him?" Jimmy asked, sticking his hands in his pockets and hunching over.

"Me and Curly saw them. There ain't no mistakin' them. If he hurts Kat under the influence of those goddamn drugs, I'm gonna tear him from lim to fuckin' limb."

My eyes grew wide at the mention of my name, and I bit my fingernail nervously, names running through my mind. Who'd want to hurt me? I don't know anyone who does drugs...

"Where is she, anyway?"

"She's-"

"Here." I stepped out from behind the pole, staring at my feet.

"K.C, I told you to stay back there!" Jimmy yelled, grabbing me by the shoulders. "Fuck, why-"

"Let go of her." Tim's voice was cold, and he pulled Jimmy back roughly, almost throwing him to the ground. "How much did you see?"

"Enough to understand that someone I know is doin' drugs and could possibly hurt me," I muttered, shuffling my feet. "Who is it Tim?"

"Jesus fuckin'-" he began, muttering under his breath, pacing the area. "Get lost, I'll catch up with ya later," he shot at Jimmy, who left without a word. "Listen," he finally said, looking like he was holding his anger back. "Jus' be careful, alright? Can you promise me that?"

"No."

He let out a frustrated groan, but wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his face in my hair. "Just try an' be safe."

"I'll try." I put my arms around his shoulders, resting my head on his chest, listening to the steady pounding of his heart. I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. "What did you want to tell me?"

He took my bottom lip between his own, sucked on it gently, and I pressed myself against him, my nails digging gently into his shoulders.

"I love it when you do that." His breath was warm against my skin, and I smiled softly as he kissed my neck, but I pushed him away.

"That doesn't answer my question."

He cursed under his breath, and let go of me, staring at the ground. He reached into his pocket, got a pack of cigarettes and lit up, looking away. "I been thinkin' about it fo' a while, and I realized that all them broads I been fucking 'round with ain't special. They don't mean nothin' to me. But you, I've known you for years now, an' you ain't like them other greaser girls. There's somethin' real special 'bout you, I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the way your eyes light up, or your smile, your laugh, or maybe jus' the way tha' you're happy and lovin' life. I told myself tha' I'm not ever gonna fall in love, but shit," he threw his cigarette to the ground and looked up at me, his cobalt eyes softer than I've ever seen them. "I think I fell in love with you."

_Oh God, why? Why, why, why, why, why?_

I clenched my fists and closed my eyes against the tears that were forming, trying to control my shaking. God, I wanted to tell him the three little words so bad, but I couldn't. I was with Michael, what I had done with Tim was wrong on so many levels...

"I'm sorry," I whispered, trying to hold my tears back. "I can't... I can't do this."

"Don't do this to me." His voice was pleading, desperate, and I couldn't bear to look up at him.

"I'm with Michael, Tim." My voice was barely above a whisper, and it cracked as a sob escaped my lips. "I can't."

"Break up with him."

"It's not that fucking easy!" I tried to snap, glaring at him through my tears.

For a second his eyes were ablaze, and he looked like he wanted to hit me, but he took a breath and a step back, a step away from me.

"You're fuckin' crazy if you want to stay with him. He took advantage of you, his friends don't respect you. Open your eyes Katherine, he doesn't love you!"

"Shut up!"

"He's going to hurt you again, and I won't be there to defend you." The warmth, the desperation in his voice was gone, and was replaced with cool indifference. I looked up, hurt, but he only pushed past me, lighting up.

"Tim!" Tears blinded my vision as I tried to run after him. "Tim!" I covered my mouth as a sob escaped my lips, and I dropped to my knees, trying to muffle my cries.

_He loves me he loves me he loves me._

A memory of crying on Evie's lap as I told her that I loved Tim flashed through my mind, and that only made me cry harder and bite my knuckles in an attempt to stop, but I couldn't.

_I need to get away._

I pushed my way blindly past couples coming back from a quick make out session, people returning from the concession stands or bathrooms, occasionally bumping into someone.

"Hey, watch it!"

The familiar voice made me look up, and I locked eyes with Steve, whose expression went from pissed off to concerned.

"Shit, Kat, what's wrong?"

"Nothing that concerns you," I tried to snap, but my voice came out weaker than expected, and I dissolved into tears.

"Jesus..." He half led, have dragged me off the path, rubbing my back awkwardly as I cried on his chest.  
I sniffed, stepping away from Steve. "I... I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry about it kid," he tried to grin, "can I know what happened? Is there anyone me and Soda need to beat up?"

_Me_, I thought, but I shook my head.

"Does it have anything to do with Jimmy?"

I shook my head again and he sighed, taking me by the hand. "Let's get you cleaned up and head back to Soda and the girls."

xXxXxX

We ended up beating Rydell by a couple of points, and the roar of the crowd made it hard to hear for a while after that.

"You want to see Michael?" Soda yelled, trying to make himself heard.

"Come with me." I didn't want to be alone with him after what happened, but I wasn't about to tell him that.  
Everyone was laughing and cheering in the locker room, and I noticed Michael with Tennant and Randy Anderson, and a smile that lit his face up, as I walked towards him apprehensively.

"Katherine..." His voice was soft, careful, as he reached a hand out towards me. "I'm sorry about earlier, I really am."

"It's okay." My hand closed over his automatically as I took it. "I just wanted to say congratulations for winning."

I tried to pull me closer, but I shook my head. "My friends are waitin' outside, I wanted to tell you that it was a really good game."

"Alright baby." He got up and wrapped his arms around my tightly, kissing the top of my head. "I love you so much, I'm so sorry for earlier."

"It's okay," I said, "I'll get going now."

"I'll walk you out."

I didn't protest, and let him loop his arm through mine as he led me out of the locker room.

"Good game," Soda told Michael as we came out.

"Thanks. Some of Rydell's players are really rough, but I think we did pretty good. It would have better if we won by more, but it's alright. You guys doing anything now?"

"Don't think so," Soda said when no one answered. "Why?"

"Me and the guys are going to head out and get some shakes, and I was wondering if Kat would like to come with us."

"I ain't feelin' so well."

It was true. My head and stomach were hurting, and I wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep for hours. It was probably a mix of what happened and the fact that I was getting near my time of the month.

_At least Michael won't be able to try anything then..._

Soda gave me a worried look and put his hand to my forehead. "You're feeling warm, we should probably get you home."

Michael pulled me into his arms and lifted my chin up, pressing his lips to mine. "I hope you get better soon."

I just nodded, and Soda wrapped his arm around my shoulders, leading me away from Michael.

"You two didn't have sex, did you?" Evie whispered, and I quickly shook my head, my eyes widening. "There's no use lying to me if you're possibly preg-"

"Evie, I'm not pregnant!"

Steve and Soda paused in their steps turning to look at us. "What in the Sam Hill are you two talking about?" Soda demanded, his light brown eyes darting from me to Evie, a suspicious look in them.

"Nothing," I muttered, rolling my sore eyes and glaring at Evie.

"You aren't-"

"Soda." I grabbed him by the shoulders and looked into his eyes. "I. Am. A. Virgin. I'm not pregnant with anyone's kid."

"I trust you, no need to get into all the details," he said with an easy grin. "Feel good enough to stop for a milkshake at the Dingo?"

xXxXxX

Steve dropped Sandy off before leaving me and Soda at our place, and before I was fully out of the car, he stopped me, a rare grin playing on his lips. "Feel better kid."

"Thanks." I couldn't help but return his grin, and hopped out of the car before anymore words could be exchanged.

"What does he mean, 'feel better'?" Evie screamed, her hair blowing in the wind as Steve drove off. "We're talking about this tomorrow!"

I just waved and laughed, following Soda inside the house. Darry was sitting in his armchair, reading the evening paper. He glanced at us, his eyes flitting over to the door as I closed it.

"Ponyboy with you guys?"

Soda shook his head. "Nah, Steve just dropped us off. We ain't see Pony since we left."

Darry nodded, going back to his paper. I glanced at Soda, who shrugged and pointed to the television.

"Ed Sullivan show?"

"Why you asking?"

Soda bounced over to the television, rapidly pressing the buttons until we got to the show. Ed Sullivan was just introducing the Monkees, and I had to bite back a squeal. My twin just laughed, wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and I settled comfortably on his chest, my eyes on the small screen.

xXxXxX

"You what?" A loud shout brought me out of my sleep, and I groaned, rubbing my eyes. Ponyboy was standing by the door, looking embarrassed, while Darry was standing, looking madder than I've ever seen him.

"Hey, Ponyboy," he said sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "Where ya been?"

"I didn't mean to." Pony pleaded. I glanced at the grandfather clock, vaguely noting that it was just past two AM. Soda and I fought with Darry around midnight, convincing him to let us stay up until Ponyboy came back home. I guess we must have fallen asleep since then... "I was talking to Johnny and we both dropped off..."

"I reckon it never occurred to you that we'd be worrying our heads off and afraid to call the police because something like that could get you three thrown in a home so quick it'd make your head spin. And you were asleep in the lot? Ponyboy, what on earth is the matter with you? Can't you use your head? You haven't even got a coat on."

"Darry, stop it..." I whispered, getting up, but he ignored me.

"I said I didn't mean to..."

"I didn't mean to! I didn't think! I forgot! That's all I hear out of you! Can't you think of anything?"

I've never heard him yell like that before. I was shaking, and could tell that my youngest brother was close to tears.

"Darry..." Sodapop's voice was stronger than mine, but Darry turned on him, his green eyes blazing.

"You keep your trap shut! I'm sick and tired of hearin' you stick up for him."

My eyes widened at his words. If there was one person Darry never yelled at, it was Soda. He could come home after curfew, get a speeding ticket, get picked up by the cops, and all he would ever get was a scolding.

I opened my mouth to defend him, but Pony beat me to it, which surprised me even more.

"You don't yell at him!"

What happened next was too fast for me to follow. I just heard the sound of skin against skin, and saw Ponyboy with his hands against the door, panting hard and eyes wide with fear. His soft, grey green eyes were filled with the same fear that constantly filled Johnny's dark ones. His right cheek was quickly reddening, and without another word, he bolted out the door, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I didn't mean to!" Darry cried, leaning out the front to. "I didn't mean to!"

"What the fuck?" I screamed, tears of anger falling from my eyes as I pushed my older brother. "Why'd you hit him? Don't just fuckin' stand there, let's go after him!"

He grabbed me by the collar of my shirt before I could go farther than the top step. "You aren't going anywhere!" His voice was hard, unfeeling, but it didn't affect me like it should have, after everything that happened that day. After seeing Johnny with an empty look in his eyes after his parents beat him more times than I could count, and having Michael hit me earlier, I couldn't take it. I normally wouldn't have said anything, but so much anger, frustration was built up inside of me that I couldn't help my next words from coming out.

"You're horrible."

Soda let out a choked gasp, and Darry looked like I had just hit him.

"Kat-"

"If... If he's not back home by tomorrow morning, I en't going to school and I'm gonna go look for him."

I left my brothers without a word, leaving them stunned. I didn't bother to put my Eddie Cochran poster back up as I slammed my door behind me, and crawled under the covers of my bed, letting the tears soak into the fabric.

Someone, Darry I think it was, came in a while later, and stayed in my room for a bit. I tried to pretend to be asleep, though I couldn't help but sniffle every once in a while, and I'm sure that Darry knew that I was awake, but he didn't say anything, just ran his fingers through my hair.

"I'm so sorry..."


End file.
